Testing day: ‘More like lockdown than an elementary school’

[n2doc]

This was written by Larry Lee of Montgomery, Alabama, former executive director of the Covington County Economic Development Commission and the West Central Partnership of Alabama. Lee, who writes often about education, sent the following email to friends and other people whom he thought would be interested.

Friends,

I have long felt that we need to have a statewide conversation about “What is education?” rather than continue to bounce from one “flavor of the month” ed reform notion to the next. And had you been with me [a week ago on] Monday, I think this point would have been made loud and clear.

I got up at 5 a.m. to drive 115 miles so I could be at Fruithurst Elementary in Cleburne County by 8 a.m. I went because last week and next are when schools across the state are taking THE TEST and I wanted to observe this process first-hand.

...


Not so Monday, the first day 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders were taking part one of the Alabama reading and math test, the test that so much emphasis is based on these days.

Honest, it was more like lockdown than an elementary school. No laughter, no smiles, no hugs, too many straight-faced youngsters, too many with stress so evidently showing (which is why the school nurse was a key part of the staff yesterday as kids were going to see her with upset stomachs and headaches).

more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/testing-day-more-like-lockdown-than-an-elementary-school/2012/04/17/gIQALbM7OT_blog.html

[msongs]

1. here is how testing really works......

schools must teach according to "standards". let's say there are 100 standards PER subject PER grade level. of course one cannot have a test question for each standard, nor teach every standard, because every subject has at least 100 standards. so teachers must make an educated guess as to which standard will appear in a test question and try to teach to that. this is what is known as teaching to the test, which eliminates the overall view and narrows it to specific best guess instruction.
Add to this the incessant test prep type lessons and activities which take away from instructional time (trying to teach what will be on the test, though nobody REALLY knows what will be on the test), it is no wonder that by actual testing time the students are burnt out totally.

In the bad old days, teachers made tests based on their lesson plans and what was actually taught in their classes, with the full understanding that kids cannot learn everything in their books. Not anymore, because that did not generate any $$ for test manufacturers.

And it's really all about money for the bloated education bureaucracy and private corporations who fund politicians.

Tests must be developed and printed (or purchased from a provider).. They must be distributed, given, collected, scored, and data based. Then results must be analyzed and those results printed and distributed and talked about etc. See how that sucks up $$ that could go into class rooms?

[eppur_se_muova]

2. And AL senate has approved legislation to permit charter schools ...

Our R's are determined to keep AL at the bottom of the educational heap.