Newsday reports that nearly 6,000 studentsrefused to take the state ELA test on Tuesday.
Think how absurd these Common Core tests are.
Students in grades 3-8 sit for four hours of reading tests, then four hours of math tests. Why so long? I think the bar exam is shorter.
When the scores are eventually reported, the students have a different teacher. The scores are not broken down to show what students’ strengths and weaknesses are. That means they have no diagnostic value at all. Teachers learn nothing about the students except their scores. The tests offer no clue about how teachers can help their students.
Fact: the tests are an expensive waste of time. They won’t make students smarter. The only beneficiaries are the testing corporations, the vendors of software and hardware, whose equipment is required for the federally-funded tests. Why must all testing be online? Does it implications data mining ?
Everyone should opt out. That is the only way that policymakers will understand the deep frustration of parents.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Our Long Island district was underreported. Plainview-Old Bethpage had 412 students opt out not “about 300.” 412 was reported by local teacher’s union. Last year about 1800 kids took the test do it’s a large percentage. Big difference, even by Common Core math standards. The superintendent also went on CBS TV news to further share the inaccurate, lower number and went on to explain, like a mother explaining her embarrassing and unruly children, that the participation was largely a result of peer pressure.
Parents are insulted and rightly so. Our tight knit community respectfully participated in many conversations giving voice to both pro and con. It’s unfortunate that media perpetuates gross inaccuracies. Diane, perhaps you can help give a voice to what happened here.
Eight hours spread out over six days isn’t the problem. It is the 70, 80, 100 hours or more of straight-up test prep that many NYC DOE schools are subjecting their students to throughout the school year that is doing the greatest harm to kids. Unlike the state tests, which are mandated by Federal law, test prep is something that is entirely under the control of the people who run districts, individual schools, and individual classrooms. It needs to end.
NYSED test scores are, in fact, broken down to give parents and teachers an idea of strengths and weaknesses. Parents get a score report showing their child’s performance in each of the math/ELA domains. What they do not get, though, is access to the entire test itself or the answers that their child gave. This is unacceptable–children deserve that feedback and the ability to learn from their mistakes; parents and citizens deserve the right to judge whether the tests are fair and useful–and I hope NYSED overrules Pearson and changes the policy.
^^^apologies, this was meant to be a reply to the main post, not to Long Island Mom’s comment individually
The facebook page for Long Island Opt Out Info (Link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Longislandoptout/?ref=ts&fref=ts ) has the numbers much higher. It is still being updated, but their estimate is more than 15,000 and rising. They are providing this link to the refusal numbers: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AqnU9z73ga5IdEVXS2E2RDR4YWZPSmdJazNQR3pHSUE&usp=sharing
Being new in Plainview-Old Bethpage, I am so glad to find so many like-minded parents. But I am dismayed at the words and attitude of the superintendent. Sounds like my husband and I need to start going to Board of Ed meetings; I look forward to meeting you, Long Island mom.
Hats off to the parents and students of Long Island! You are a model to the rest of the country. Thank you for your leadership!
The scholar and philosopher Maimonides combed through the Torah and made a list of 613 commandments.
Number 49 says that you are “not to pass your children through the fire to Molech.”
Don’t pass your child through the fire of standardized testing.
Don’t feed the false god of Big Data!
Opt out!
I am in the midst of going through the boxes that contain my life as a teacher… the syllabus I used when first I stood before those chldren. The outcomes were up to me, bu the objectives were clear.
I had little else. In most of the classrooms where I practiced my craft and my profession, I was grateful for desks and chairs or blackboards.
In those boxes are the wonderful books that informed my practice. Seminsars with lucy Calukins, and books like “in The Middle” by Nancy Atwell, which gave me the idea for the reader’s letters that brought the standards research to my school.
In those boxes are the charts I created for my award winning practice, all the visual aids I put together to re-enforce my objectives, and all the materials I gathered to keep th skids interested and thinking. Without thinking there can be no writing so I gave them plenty to think about… BUT I CHOSE IT ALL, every story, every novel, everything they read and everything that they saw, the movies, the plays, and the media.
Diane, speaking as a teacher who taught second and third grade and sixth and seventh, and everything in between when I subbed, as I raised my sons, I can tell you that I am beyond horrified. I want to weep for the children, and for their teachers who would be their mentors, their guides into adulthood, if the top-down management would be eliminated.
One last thing, When Lorna Stremcha began to teach, she was also the expert in the practice. She met the objectives in her classroom and the kids thrived, until one day t he principal took the curricula and the methods from the provence of the teacher.
When I read the introduction to her book, “Sins of the Schools,” after the bell rings, I was struck by her description of the moment things changed… when the ‘mandate bombs’ began to fall from above. That phrase was used to describe the change to top-down management in NYC, by the teacher at the beginning of the Grassroots movie. He described the wonder and beauty of teaching those emergent minds, and how it all changed.
We need to return teaching to the teacher, to the professional pedagogue!
The administration’s job is to support the novice teacher and provide the mentorship that they fail to get in some of the colleges. That is there job, and when they did this the American school built citizens that made America great!
And Diane, there are 4 PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING that apply to administration. Four responsibilities for SUPPORT of the classroom practitioner. I know because as I say, over and over, I WAS THERE for the GENUINE Pew funded, standards research out of Harvard that was THE NATIONAL STANDARDS… the real rubrics for teaching and learning that NOT A SOULD TALKS ABOUT. I will not discuss them here, but anyone who goes to my author’s page at Oped, will find them in my articles.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Learning-not-Teacher-evalu-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-111001-956.html
I read “The American Educator” (thanks Randi for ensuring my subscription!) There is real education going on in public schools, and real models of teams that include teachers and administration.The american public needs to see what learning looks like. THAT WAS THE STANDARDS MAIN TALKING POINT, for two year of workshops by the LRDC… how to recognize when AUTHENTIC learning was taking place, and how to identify those indicators that a teacher was facilitating critical thinking skills.
I know what learning looks like, and I can say with some authority — I doesn’t look like what I have been hearing in the media and what your blog describes.
One last thing, so I am clear… there are smart principals out there… I know one –my niece Jennifer Steiner in San Francisco. I saw what she did at Monroe Elementary and I knew that it was possible to enable all our kids… but then, I read your posts, and the stories of teaches who are suffering such hardship as they try to do the right thing,but have no voice.
The conversation here is important. I will move some of the voices here, to the site where I write, so that the bright people who read and write there, like Robert Reich and Chris Hedges, can hear the voices of teachers that Diane Ravitch enables in this cyber-place.
The voice of the teacher has been lost… which is why I called my old site “Speaking as a Teacher, ” and why I speak as a teacher at Oped.http://www.opednews.com/author/author40790.html
“… standards research out of Harvard that was THE NATIONAL STANDARDS… the real rubrics for teaching and learning that NOT A SOULD TALKS ABOUT.”
Susan,
It would behoove you to read Noel Wilson and understand the problems with “standards” and “rubrics”. Those standards to which you refer suffer the same epistemological and ontological errors that render the whole educational standards and the accompanying, joined at the hip, two sides of same coin standardized testing processes completely invalid.
See:“Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” found at:
http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/577/700
Brief outline of Wilson’s “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” and some comments of mine. (updated 6/24/13 per Wilson email)
1. A quality cannot be quantified. Quantity is a sub-category of quality. It is illogical to judge/assess a whole category by only a part (sub-category) of the whole. The assessment is, by definition, lacking in the sense that “assessments are always of multidimensional qualities. To quantify them as one dimensional quantities (numbers or grades) is to perpetuate a fundamental logical error” (per Wilson). The teaching and learning process falls in the logical realm of aesthetics/qualities of human interactions. In attempting to quantify educational standards and standardized testing we are lacking much information about said interactions.
2. A major epistemological mistake is that we attach, with great importance, the “score” of the student, not only onto the student but also, by extension, the teacher, school and district. Any description of a testing event is only a description of an interaction, that of the student and the testing device at a given time and place. The only correct logical thing that we can attempt to do is to describe that interaction (how accurately or not is a whole other story). That description cannot, by logical thought, be “assigned/attached” to the student as it cannot be a description of the student but the interaction. And this error is probably one of the most egregious “errors” that occur with standardized testing (and even the “grading” of students by a teacher).
3. Wilson identifies four “frames of reference” each with distinct assumptions (epistemological basis) about the assessment process from which the “assessor” views the interactions of the teaching and learning process: the Judge (think college professor who “knows” the students capabilities and grades them accordingly), the General Frame-think standardized testing that claims to have a “scientific” basis, the Specific Frame-think of learning by objective like computer based learning, getting a correct answer before moving on to the next screen, and the Responsive Frame-think of an apprenticeship in a trade or a medical residency program where the learner interacts with the “teacher” with constant feedback. Each category has its own sources of error and more error in the process is caused when the assessor confuses and conflates the categories.
4. Wilson elucidates the notion of “error”: “Error is predicated on a notion of perfection; to allocate error is to imply what is without error; to know error it is necessary to determine what is true. And what is true is determined by what we define as true, theoretically by the assumptions of our epistemology, practically by the events and non-events, the discourses and silences, the world of surfaces and their interactions and interpretations; in short, the practices that permeate the field. . . Error is the uncertainty dimension of the statement; error is the band within which chaos reigns, in which anything can happen. Error comprises all of those eventful circumstances which make the assessment statement less than perfectly precise, the measure less than perfectly accurate, the rank order less than perfectly stable, the standard and its measurement less than absolute, and the communication of its truth less than impeccable.”
In other word all the logical errors involved in the process render any conclusions invalid.
5. The test makers/psychometricians, through all sorts of mathematical machinations attempt to “prove” that these tests (based on standards) are valid-errorless or supposedly at least with minimal error [they aren’t]. Wilson turns the concept of validity on its head and focuses on just how invalid the machinations and the test and results are. He is an advocate for the test taker not the test maker. In doing so he identifies thirteen sources of “error”, any one of which renders the test making/giving/disseminating of results invalid. As a basic logical premise is that once something is shown to be invalid it is just that, invalid, and no amount of “fudging” by the psychometricians/test makers can alleviate that invalidity.
6. Having shown the invalidity, and therefore the unreliability, of the whole process Wilson concludes, rightly so, that any result/information gleaned from the process is “vain and illusory”. In other words start with an invalidity, end with an invalidity (except by sheer chance every once in a while, like a blind and anosmic squirrel who finds the occasional acorn, a result may be “true”) or to put in more mundane terms crap in-crap out.
7. And so what does this all mean? I’ll let Wilson have the second to last word: “So what does a test measure in our world? It measures what the person with the power to pay for the test says it measures. And the person who sets the test will name the test what the person who pays for the test wants the test to be named.”
In other words it measures “’something’ and we can specify some of the ‘errors’ in that ‘something’ but still don’t know [precisely] what the ‘something’ is.” The whole process harms many students as the social rewards for some are not available to others who “don’t make the grade (sic)” Should American public education have the function of sorting and separating students so that some may receive greater benefits than others, especially considering that the sorting and separating devices, educational standards and standardized testing, are so flawed not only in concept but in execution?
My answer is NO!!!!!
One final note with Wilson channeling Foucault and his concept of subjectivization:
“So the mark [grade/test score] becomes part of the story about yourself and with sufficient repetitions becomes true: true because those who know, those in authority, say it is true; true because the society in which you live legitimates this authority; true because your cultural habitus makes it difficult for you to perceive, conceive and integrate those aspects of your experience that contradict the story; true because in acting out your story, which now includes the mark and its meaning, the social truth that created it is confirmed; true because if your mark is high you are consistently rewarded, so that your voice becomes a voice of authority in the power-knowledge discourses that reproduce the structure that helped to produce you; true because if your mark is low your voice becomes muted and confirms your lower position in the social hierarchy; true finally because that success or failure confirms that mark that implicitly predicted the now self-evident consequences. And so the circle is complete.”
In other words students “internalize” what those “marks” (grades/test scores) mean, and since the vast majority of the students have not developed the mental skills to counteract what the “authorities” say, they accept as “natural and normal” that “story/description” of them. Although paradoxical in a sense, the “I’m an “A” student” is almost as harmful as “I’m an ‘F’ student” in hindering students becoming independent, critical and free thinkers. And having independent, critical and free thinkers is a threat to the current socio-economic structure of society.
Just wondering Diane if you are getting any feedback on this year’s ELA? I know teachers are bound not to even look at these tests, but last year there were reports of kids crying and getting ill. So if you do get any anonymous feedback, I hope you can share it here.
Check here by state: http://testingtalk.org
Where is the child in the bunch with that rare ability to remember every single detail going back year after year! Imagine, they could really make fodder of the test by simply revealing its “top secret” nearly “patented” contents!
Personally I believe it to be UNETHICAL for a teacher to give a test that they have not read and vetted. How couldn’t it be UNETHICAL? Any ETHICAL teacher would refuse to be a part of UNETHICAL practices.
I’ll say it again, the testing craze is more than ideology and cash, it’s also a way to easily ‘manage’ personnel. You get a number with pseudo statistics, that clueless MBAs think is valid, and let the firing begin. Even in right-to-work states, managers may have to spend a few hours making a case for firing.
Agree.
Emphasis on the ideology, which kills two birds with one stone.
De-professionalizes women’s careers and takes power away from communities, so the 1% can govern.
That’s why Gates defeat is so important.
“Facts are less dangerous than theory [idiology, purposely misspelled]; despite the promise of the Enlightenment, most people use up far more energy defending their mythologies than in searching for facts; the world is full of answers looking for questions, and significant questions are rather an endangered species.
Duane,
The mythology, to which you refer,
(1) Is it, what the Koch’s and the John Birch Society believe?
(2) Are you describing, as myth, that the far right conservatives, act upon their anti-woman bias, e.g. Santorum? If I’ve hit your point, with this one, what is the significant question?
(3) Are you describing, as myth, the evidence that the 1%, with the help of the Supreme Court, are plotting to govern the U.S. ?
In a comedic side note, a commenter at Huffpo said about Christie and Bridget Kelley, that he targeted her because there weren’t any N.J. Black staffers.
The testing companies aren’t the only beneficiaries… As you well know the privatizers will use the precise but inaccurate data as evidence that our schools are failing: teachers are failing to teach; administrators are failing to lead; and school boards are failing to govern. None of this is true, but it will add fuel to the “failing school” fire and give the politicians who support privatization cover.
The bar exam is around 12 hours.
FLERP, do you think 8-year-old children should be expected to take 8 hours of tests? Does it make them smarter? Cui bono?
I think it’s excessive. I’d be interested in seeing a history of standardized testing in New York from the early 1990 to present. As long as I’ve lived in the city, young kids have been taking standardized tests from grades 3-8. The reasoning was that it ensure that kids didn’t slip through the cracks or get passed on through social promotion. A lot of people supported that back then even though Pearson et al were the main financial beneficiaries. It’s funny, though, when I look through the old news archives from that time, all the same arguments, for and against, were being made.
I believe that time frame depends upon each state’s bar exam, doesn’t it?
It’s possible, but to my knowledge it’s about the same everywhere. One day is a standardized “multistate” exam that’s the same in every state. The other day is usually essay questions, which in some states is state-specific but in other states is a standardized “multistate” essay exam. It’s about 6 hours each day. Oh, and there’s an ethics exam that’s administered separately that’s also required for bar admission. I’m guess that’s maybe 3 hours.
Long Island is a trail blazer. If I had children in school, they would not be taking these tests. Good for Long Island!
My written exams for my doctorate were *only* two three-hour sessions.
What about your oral defense?
14,ooo and counting
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqnU9z73ga5IdEVXS2E2RDR4YWZPSmdJazNQR3pHSUE&usp=sharing#gid=2
Why My Son is Not Taking the SOL Tests this Year
With testing season once again upon us, I wanted to share why I have decided that my 8th grade son will not take any of his SOL tests this year. I don’t take this decision lightly, as it could impact his teachers and school. My son most likely would have passed all his SOLs. However, the state of Virginia will record my “refusal” of his SOL testing as though he failed the tests, which makes no sense but seems designed to discourage parents from opting-out their students.
Since the SOL tests are required for high school graduation, this is my last chance to take a stand. As a parent I never liked SOL testing, but didn’t realize just how detrimental it is to our children’s education. However, since switching careers and becoming a teacher, I have now seen first-hand how standardized testing is destroying the public education experience for many students.
My reasons for refusing to have my son take the SOLs:
1- There are too many tests! Did you know that in Virginia students take 34 standardized tests before they graduate? {Actually, we’ve had a small victory as this number was recently reduced by the VADOE – let’s hope this is a step in the right direction!} Starting in third grade, school often becomes a monotony of test-prep, monthly or quarterly benchmark assessments, and computerized testing sessions.
2- You can’t measure an entire year’s learning with just one test. We should be using multiple assessments throughout the year to judge a student’s mastery of a subject. Collecting materials in a portfolio for each student would be a much better display of their learning growth throughout the year, rather than relying on one single test. Just think of all the factors that could cause a student to “fail” the SOL, even if all year long they have shown mastery of the content material. What if they don’t feel well? Didn’t eat a good breakfast? Had a fight with their mom, dad, or sibling right before coming to school? Didn’t get a good night’s sleep because they share a bed (yes, a bed not a bedroom – there are students in this situation) with one or two of their siblings? There are so many circumstances that could impact a student’s performance on test day.
3- The curriculum is too dense, forcing teachers to follow such accelerated pacing schedules that students often gain just surface knowledge, rather than a deep understanding of a subject. Teachers must often rush through a topic just to get it covered, often creating limits on truly creative thinking and discussion about a subject. This quote from Dr. Peter Gray, Ph.D., research professor at Boston College, and author of Free to Learn, makes sense “…it is no wonder that children have become ever less creative as our schools have become ever more centered on testing and evaluation.”
While I do apologize to my son’s teachers and school if his “refusal” to test causes issues, I don’t apologize to the VA Department of Education or to the federal education regulators who are the real demons in enforcing the standardized testing movement.
Sarah Smarrelli
4190 Jackson Glen Drive
The Plains, VA 20198
540-878-0127
smarrelli4190@gmail.com