More like -1 for 6 for even coming up with such a smoke screen. As if things were hard enough, having disinformation thrown against the wall to see if it sticks does worse than just "not help."
If the big test were given during the first week of school and yielded instant and actionable data (and it was a credible test), I MIGHT sign on to the idea that the tests could potentially do some good for students and teachers.
Standardized tests aligned to curriculum such as our state test in NC help policymakers see where student learning is falling short and provide a gauge for equity across the state. Important legal action relies on standardized tests to advocate for better funding for low performing schools, which are often low income and poorly resourced. The sad fact is, the state test data is seen as objective and more palatable for conservative lawmakers to grasp than other indicators of need.
Too many people get dazzled when someone says "objective measure" or "data analysis". Maybe we should do away with the test and spend that extra time going over the pitfalls of data analysis with students.
I am a big believer in accountability and testing for reasons even beyond these. If you’re ever interested.
More like -1 for 6 for even coming up with such a smoke screen. As if things were hard enough, having disinformation thrown against the wall to see if it sticks does worse than just "not help."
If the big test were given during the first week of school and yielded instant and actionable data (and it was a credible test), I MIGHT sign on to the idea that the tests could potentially do some good for students and teachers.
Standardized tests aligned to curriculum such as our state test in NC help policymakers see where student learning is falling short and provide a gauge for equity across the state. Important legal action relies on standardized tests to advocate for better funding for low performing schools, which are often low income and poorly resourced. The sad fact is, the state test data is seen as objective and more palatable for conservative lawmakers to grasp than other indicators of need.
Too many people get dazzled when someone says "objective measure" or "data analysis". Maybe we should do away with the test and spend that extra time going over the pitfalls of data analysis with students.