By unanimous vote, the entire faculty at Garfield High School in Seattle voted not to administer the MAP test of reading and mathematics.
This is the first time, to my knowledge, that the faculty of an entire school refused to give mandated tests.
The action of the Garfield High School faculty could have national ramifications because it shows other teachers that there is strength in unity and that they do not have to endure unethical demands with passivity and resignation.
For their courage, their integrity, and their intelligence, I add the faculty of Garfield High School to the honor roll as champions of public education.
The teachers agreed that the tests are a waste of time and money. Students don’t take them seriously because they don’t count toward their grades. But teachers will be evaluated based on the results of these tests that students don’t take seriously. Even the organization that created the tests say they should not be used for teacher evaluation, but the district requires them anyway.
I hope that the example set by Garfield High School will resonate in school districts across the United States and around the world. High-stakes testing is bad for students, bad for teachers, and bad for education.
This is the statement by the teachers of Garfield High School:
SEATTLE – In perhaps the first instance anywhere in the nation, teachers at Seattle’s Garfield High School will announce this afternoon their refusal to administer a standardized test that students in other high schools across the district are scheduled to take in the first part of January. Known as the MAP test, it purports to evaluate student progress and skill in reading and math. The teachers contend that it wastes time, money, and precious school resources.
“Our teachers have come together and agree that the MAP test is not good for our students, nor is it an appropriate or useful tool in measuring progress,” says Kris McBride, who serves as Academic Dean and Testing Coordinator at Garfield. “Additionally, students don’t take it seriously. It produces specious results, and wreaks havoc on limited school resources during the weeks and weeks the test is administered.”
McBride explained that the MAP test, which stands for Measure of Academic Progress, is administered two to three times each year to 9th grade students as well as those receiving extra support services. The students are told the test will have no impact on their grades or class standing, and, because of this, students tend to give it little thought to the test and hurry through it. In addition, there seems to be little overlap between what teachers are expected to teach (state and district standards) and what is measured on the test.
Despite this flaw, McBride states, results of the MAP tests will be used by district officials to help evaluate the effectiveness of instructors who give the test. “Our teachers feel strongly that this type of evaluative tool is unfair based on the abundance of problems with the exam, the content, and the statistical insignificance of the students’ scores,” she says.
Refusing to administer a district-mandated test is not a decision the school’s teachers made casually, or without serious internal discussion.
“Those of us who give this test have talked about it for several years,” explained Mallory Clarke, Garfield’s Reading Specialist. “When we heard that district representatives themselves reported that the margin of error for this test is greater than an individual student’s expected score increase, we were appalled!”
After the affected faculty decided unanimously to make a stand against the MAP test, they told the rest of Garfield’s faculty of their decision. In a December 19 vote, the rest of the school’s teachers voted overwhelmingly to support their colleagues’ refusal to administer the test. Not a single teacher voted against the action. Four abstained from voting. the rest voted to support it.
“We really think our teachers are making the right decision,” said student body president Obadiah Stephens-Terry.“I know when I took the test, it didn’t seem relevant to what we were studying in class– and we have great classes here at Garfield. I know students who just go through the motions when taking the test, did it as quickly as possible so that they could do something more useful with their time.” History teacher Jesse Hagopian said, “What frustrates me about the MAP test is that the computer labs are monopolized for weeks by the MAP test, making research projects very difficult to assign.” Hagopian added “This especially hurts students who don’t have a computer at home.”
The $4 million MAP test was purchased by Seattle Public Schools during the tenure of former Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, who left her position in 2011 and sadly passed away in 2012. Goodloe-Johnson sat on the board of directors of Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), the company that markets the MAP test. At the time, some pointed out this potential conflict of interest for Goodloe-Johnson, but the district went ahead with the purchase nonetheless. NWEA itself warns that districts should not use the map test to evaluate teachers. We teachers of Garfield High School believe that the NWEA is right—this test should not be used to evaluate teachers. For secondary teachers the test cannot provide useful information about students’ skills and progress. Still worse, this test should not rob students of precious class time away from instruction. “We believe the negative aspects of the MAP test so outweigh the positive ones that we are willing to take this step,” said Language Arts teacher Adam Gish.
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BRAVO!!! And so it begins…
Wow, go Garfield!
If the test is so flawed and apparently does not “provide useful information about students’ skills and progress”, then what is the point of the test – academic torture?
The point is satisfying the political posturing of individuals who don’t have a clue as to what eduacation is really about, but who are trying to appeal to their constituency by “holding teachers accountable.”
I’m so happy. This article JUST made my day. Not only is it not useful for teacher eval it’s a BAD test. If you don’t want to take my word for it, read what testing expert Dr. Jim Popham has to say. (Pg. 14 deals specifically with this test.)http://www.bestevidence.org/word/Better_Spring_2011.pdf
And I think about 10 minutes into this video, he’ll tell you the purpose of MAPS. . . http://edu.wyoming.gov/video/2011/08/23/dr-jim-popham-discusses-paws-and-assessment-literacy
With so many others, I couldn’t be more thrilled with the courage of Garfield’s faculty, or the integrity of their administration should they continue to abide by this vote.
Here’s the thing (certain that I don’t want to get flamed for this, but feeling it’s a relevant point): I would hope to see this understood as a victory for preventing the use of MAP results for evaluating teachers, or for any other high-stakes purpose. MAP itself — love it or hate it — is represented as a formative assessment and (though perhaps I misunderstand) was _never_ intended to be used in the manner for which it was proposed. Admitting my own possible confusion, I would hate to see us jump to conclusions about the possible value of MAP as a potentially _more_ reliable measure of crucial proficiencies to inform effective actual teaching and learning — even as much as I would hate to see us neglect to celebrate this act of courage in refusing to turn its result to other more sinister purposes at odds with that very teaching and learning.
This is a reminder that while teachers are going through a difficult time now, the only people who will truly influence the education of a child are the parents and teachers. Any reform that happens will only happen with the cooperation of the people who care enough to be with the children each day. Any reform that is opposed by most teachers cannot succeed.
This is the kind of action that works.
Imagine….
“if You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he’s really sick and they won’t take him.
And if two people, two people do it, in harmony,
they may think they’re both faggots and they won’t take either of them.
And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in
singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. They may think it’s an
organization.
And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said
fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and
walking out. And friends they may thinks it’s a movement.
AND IT IS… with thanks to Arlo Guthrie
“And you can get anything you want. . . exceptin Alice”
My heroes! I hope this sort of thing spreads.
Good. They’ll have no complaints if the school district decides to not honor portions of their contract because “it’s a waste of time.”
Please! There are so many broken or ignored sections of contracts by Districts toward Teachers your comment is a joke!
And yet as a parent, I trust teachers have the truest sense of what “waste of time” means.
So if your boss asked you to do something every year that had a directly negative impact on your customers, then used that negative impact to judge you as an employee, then had the public at large claim that YOU weren’t doing YOUR job, you would just say “oh well…”? The teachers are not only doing this because it is used against them, they are doing it because it takes away from the time used to instruct the students.
Yes!!-this is courageous and reminds us of that our strength is in solidarity. Awesome!
I love that “the margin of error is greater than the potential student increase.” Then I might ask “What is the purpose of the test?” Good for those teachers to go against a useless so called tool.
A precedent has been set. Let the dominoes fall.
This may be akin to that first shot fired at Lexington Common. Don’t tread on us!
I attended the press conference announcing this action in Seattle. What you came away with from this roomful of teachers and staff is concern for students. MAP does NOT align with curriculum and takes away valuable instructional time (not to mention tying up computer access for other students while MAP is given).
The takeaway lesson from them – “We care about our students and will stand up for them.”
Very courageous. I feel excited that groups are banning together and saying enough. There is hope.
The State of Washington voters have placed their confidence in teachers judgement. If over half of the teachers at Garfield voted to turn it into a charter school, it would be so under state law.
Thus, a unanimous vote to get rid of a simple test, is a mild use of teacher authority by comparison.
It is about time that we take back public education. I’m super impressed wtih the Seattle teachers at Garfield HS. Let’s give those teachers from Garfield HS a loud cheer of “RIGHT ON!”
I hope that this is the beginning of a revolution against the deformers, against high-stake testing, and against the unfair teacher evaluation that would use scores to rate educators.
Right on, Garfield High School, proud Alma Mater of Jimi Hendrix, who grew up in the local Central District.
Bravo to the teachers at Garfield High School. I will add that the actual MAP test can never be seen by teachers, parents or principals. The actual test is adapted for each student. The test is locked into the computer. Parents just get numerical results.
I’ve opted my children out of MAP due to fears of test fatigue. For algebra, our children are expected to take classroom tests and quizzes, MAP 3Xs year, EOC and MSP. The level of testing has become absurd.
I should also note that Seattle Public Schools require children as young as 5 to take MAP testing. Some very young students, with limited fine motor movements..have never held a computer mouse.
I also want to add that this test was sold to the district as an “instructional” tool. At the time it was sold to the district, the superintendent didn’t disclose the fact that MAP would eventually be used to incorporate into teacher evaluations.
Grant funding for this “instructional” tool ran out. As a result, teachers don’t know how to correlate this test to individualized instruction.
I’ve proctored this test and wouldn’t trust it to guide my instruction either. A teacher’s assessments can better guide students individually. We don’t need this multiple choice test.
And good for you for opting your children out! Parents across the country, opt your children out of testing–especially state, “standardized,” “Pineapple” question tests. STOP-THE-TESTING-IN-2013!!!
Many parents are fearful to opt their children out of this test. They feel it the district requires testing..it must be a good thing.
I’ve created a Facebook page to show these courageous teachers that they have supporters all over the country: http://www.facebook.com/SolidarityWithGarfieldHighSchoolTestingBoycott
I wish I had had the guts to do this when all my middle school bilingual students were given the MAP reading test with no advance warning.
The Billionaire Oligarchs love the centralized top down one size tool. Value Added Measure — for teacher evaluation is a favorite. Except VAM does not work. It has proved to be neither reliable nor valid. Thus the Gates Foundation is now misinterpreting the data from a $46 million three-year study to claim a blended model of observation + VAM works.
Jay Greene provides the Truth that underlies Gates Foundation spin ==>
Understanding the Gates Foundation’s Measuring Effective Teachers Project
What Success Would Have Looked Like
Again, what truly matters about our current test culture is that kids are often being tested on content not yet taught. (Why?) Despite what administrators tell us, the results of these poorly timed, “low stakes” tests, designed to “inform our instruction” is affecting students in an unethical matter. As a result of these tests, program placements are being made arbitrarily because of the “data”. (The data is false!) Meanwhile, parents, community members, policy makers, and the public at large have no knowledge of this commonplace practice. The bold and courageous actions of the teachers in Seattle is an important first step. Thank you teachers!
From the low quality standards of the past to the low quality standardized tests, we are forced as teachers to do so many things that we know are not in the best interests of learning. The old standards wasted our time and kept our students on the lower level of thinking. The standardized tests often offered us absolutely no useable data.
You have untied your hands so you may best help your students!
May you standing up for your students give other teachers the courage to stand up for theirs! Bravo!
Great teachers have classrooms full of students who take every exam seriously, regardless of accountability measures or lack thereof. Teachers like these create the need for horrible accountability measures like any high stakes test will provide. There are lots of problems here, but we cannot forget that the teacher created assessments at the high school level are plenty high stakes enough (GPA, class rank, etc), and the “old-school” types of teachers, especially at the secondary level, are afraid of accountability for soe reason. Teachers who blame students and hide from accountability are at least as bad as districts that blame teachers and only pass the buck.
Now let us shout this out to Arne Duncan! Good read today by Bill Ayers.
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13813-bill-ayers-a-letter-to-the-president
I’ve found the MAP to be useful in gauging middle schoolers’ reading comprehension, more so than the state tests. I agree that having three or four different standardized tests during the year is overkill and ironically cuts into instruction time, but standardized tests are not evil in themselves.
“. . .but standardized tests are not evil in themselves.”
Wrong, Sparky!!!
As Wilson has shown, the myriad errors involved in the making, taking the test and disseminating results of standards, standardized testing and grading render said practices invalid. Start with mierda end up with caca. Or as Wilson says any results are “vain and illusory” See: “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” found at:
http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/577/700
“A Little Less than Valid: An Essay Review” found at:
http://www.edrev.info/essays/v10n5index.html
Click to access v10n5.pdf
How does it gauge comprehension? A multiple choice test? I gauge comprehension by talking to the student about what they’re reading and reading their reading journals.
We are starting an opt-out movement in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. We stand in solidarity with Seattle and all the other parents, teachers, students, and concerned community members who have decided enough is enough. It’s time to take back our schools for real learning.
Here is a link to an FAQ we put together this week:
Have you made a copy of this for teachers in your school yet?
I would love for the Metro Nashville Public Schools to follow their fine example, but, as usual, Race to the Top money was too much for our state/local government to resist and now the TCAP testing counts as 10 percent of the grade.
I applaud the teachers of Garfield High School. They hit upon one of the key ideas of these tests for high schools: the students do not take them seriously. (And we cannot compel them to try their best.) By the time students reach high school, they know the tests are meaningless for them.
In Michigan, kids take the ACT then take MME tests (state exams) the following two days. They don’t even try on the MME because they know that it does not effect their grades, college acceptance or graduation status. I watched a student of mine who scored 5’s on AP US History and AP Econ simply create a pattern that looked like an octagon on the bubble sheet. No joke.
And we are supposed to take these results seriously? And be somewhat evaluated according to them?
I believe this is the same school where students walked out in protest of budget cuts in early December and where a teacher was arrested earlier for protesting in the House in Olympia.
My sincere admiration and thanks to all involved in this effort. Well done. Very well done.
Anecdotes aren’t data of course but my HS freshman took the first of three (!) sets of MAP tests he’ll be taking this year a couple of months ago and the results were misleading: he came out higher in some areas that I know he is weaker in, and lower in some areas I know is stronger in. SInce he has autism, he’s been tested a lot over the years and his progress is very well monitored by both school and the private interventionalists we work with. I have lots of other results to compare the MAP to.
I asked if he could be excused from the rest of the MAP testing but was given a runaround. I like the school staff very much and think they’re doing a great job so I decided this wasn’t a battle I was going to fight. But it does make me jealous of everyone at Garfield in Seattle.
I’ll add that I’ve watched my kid take on-line pretests as homework in some of his academic classes and it strikes me that there are some big differences in the test-taking skills required. His experience with computer games has taught him that speed is of the essence but that’s not true of a test, where reading a question and its answers carefully and thinking through the possibilities are essential. As a result of rushing through, he makes a lot of sloppy mistakes on computer tests.
Also, I think an on-line test can require more working memory than a paper test because you can’t cross out the answers you know are incorrect, or underline key words, or otherwise make notes for yourself. And you can’t skip over a question and go back to it later because the computer won’t let you, or go back and check your work when you are all done.
It makes me wonder if there is any good research on how changing tests from paper to computer effects results among different ages and types of learners.
I think that you bring up some very important points concerning computerized/multiple choice tests and different types and ages of learners. For one thing, I doubt most people realize that there is no going back to check over answers with the NWEA. The RI School for the Deaf started using this system several years ago (before I retired), and from my experience, I have zero confidence in the meaningfulness of the scores on this test for the population at our school, at least for the reading and English language arts portions. Also, the formula for calculating predicted growth is not transparent, and was certainly not arrived at by factoring in students with learning needs. Any student who has difficulty with English will not be able to show their true reading proficiency with the reading test, or language proficiency with the English language arts test. Nor are scores on this test appropriate for diagnosing English language or literacy challenges for individual students; these challenges need to be scaffolded by teachers trained to work with special needs students, and the NWEA scores are no help with this and do not take this into account.
Kudos to the Garfield High School teachers for having the courage and thoughtfulness to not only refuse to participate in this sham of testing/accountability, but to explain their reasons so articulately.
Have you child absent on the days the MAP are given.
MAP tests are made up at our school when students are absent. Being absent will only change the testing experience, not eliminate it. The MOY assessment is being given in a computer lab during the height of flu season —- one group after another.
I applaud the teachers of Garfield HS, but wonder what the consequence to the district will be from the State of Washington regarding financial aid.
I’m proud to be a teacher at this moment. What courage Garfield High has shown! Thank you to them.
Since standardized tests are a form of testing that involves human subjects, I have always wondered why the scripted instructions the teachers read to the students do not have to include a phrase that our IRBs have to include, that the testees have the right to NOT be involved if they chose.
If we say our teachers have a voice let them speak and be heard. It’s the teachers who educate the children to grow up with the skills to get jobs in order to keep America functioning.
Bravo! I hope the faculty of my Seattle High School will take this stand, also.
How good is the MAP test?
Most of my college professors use third or fifth edition text books because they believed that they had been gradually perfected. The Boeing 737 is an iteration of the 707, and it is refined and reliable product.
Is the MAP test the equivalent of america’s best automobile by consumer’s digest for the 11th year running? Because it should be at that level of excellence.
Do the tests and textbooks measure up to Steve Jobs design standards? If not, the purchasing decision process needs to be looked at.
Or how about we just teach and forget about the testing?
Hear hear.
The MAP test calculates what NWEA calls a Rasch unit named after Danish mathematician Georg Rasch or RIT score for short. This comes from the Rasch model he developed in the 50’s (i think) along with some Item Response Theory (I think). In any case I’ve tried to research Rasch and have found quite a bit about his life from about 1900 to 1980’s (I forget exactly). In any case he seems to have fallen off the “intellectual map” from the late 30’s through the mid to late 40’s. I suspect it has something to do with WWII. Denmark has an interesting relationship with Germany throughout the war. I am wondering what Rasch was doing during this time???? anyone know?
BTW, from what I have read the Rasch model was used by the Danish military to help sort out who was best suited for what job in the military, in which service was compulsory.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can fill in the blanks. If I am correct, should we be concerned that this is the same model NWEA is assessing kids with?
As a former co-educator of Garfield High School I applaud you for taking a solid stand.
You are to be congratulated for the unity of the staff as well as bringing this issue to the entire nation. Kudos to you all- Ms. Ginger
Do the teachers in this district have strong union support?
I feel a need to communicate directly with those teachers to tell them joust how great I think they are–they are informed, have fortitude in abundance and are so brave. I want them to know just how much support they have! Bravo!
I am against the use of any standardized test for the evaluation of teacher performance. However, I am a strong proponent of the use of the MAP tests. My district administers both the Iowa Assessments (formerly the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills) and the MAP tests. Iowa Assessments are norm-referenced while MAP tests are criterion-referenced. We find value in what the data tells us about student growth over time. Perhaps the problem is in how the tests and resulting data are used. With MAP, we disaggregate the data to see where gaps in learning are occurring. For example, yesterday I participated in a data analysis of our reading scores. We compared students growth from fall to mid-year. We also looked at how well students were doing in the three sub-areas of reading literature, reading informationaltexts, and vocabulary. As a result of our analysis, we are making instructional decisions for interventions for both proficient and non-proficient readers. In addition, we are using the data to make decisions for our future professional development training in literacy.
The MAP tests are not the problem. The use of the MAP tests is the problem. To me, both the district and the teachers are wrong in the use of the tests. The Garfield teachers don’t have any buy-in to use the test effectively. That is reflected in the students’ lack of motivation to do well on the tests as well. The district is wrong in the use of the tests as a tool for teacher evaluation. Additionally, the evaluation problem is rooted in a distrust of administrators’ evaluations of teachers. Someone-I am not sure if it is legislators, political activists, or those folks that would like to see education privatized-but someone wants to quantify teacher performance with a single number and that is just not sound practice.
Teaching needs to be seen and felt and heard. You can tell you are in the presence of an effective teacher when you walk in the room. Test data is useful to see trends in student perdormance but in my opinion should be used to evaluate the performances of the people taking the test, the students, not the teacher.
To me, this district needs ro re-evaluate its use of the MAP test. If teachers aren’t invested in their use and students blow them off, the tests are a waste of money. But, the MAP test can be a valuable tool if used properly by districts. Don’t blame the test.
You have NO CLUE how great a school Garfield used to be. It was academically outstanding. But now, after a couple decades of Progressive Programs …. sighhhh.
I taught at Garfield 36 years ago, so know issues involving Progressive Programs were not a problem. Bravo to the courage of current the Garfield Staff!
Christine – were you still there in ’83? I’m an 1983 GHS grad.
I have a data meeting soon. I’d like to share that “NWEA itself warns that districts should not use the map test to evaluate teachers.” Who has a link to document this? Where do I find that on the web site? My administrator won’t just take my word for it. Thanks.
My school is giving the MAPs test for the first time this year. I have been looking at the data from the first administration and besides forming student groups, I am not sure what to do with the data. The data may show students strengths and weaknesses, but the assessment is not aligned with our curriculum- the confidence interval is 68%, reaching beyond the projected growth. Given the amount of time we are investing in testing our students I would like to be able to use the data to guide my instruction. Perhaps at the elementary level the data is more useful for instruction.
We will be giving the test 2 more times this year- if anyone has any ideas on how we can use this data to help our students I would like to know. I am a high school mathematics teacher.
Proud of my alma mater! Go bulldogs! I hope many many more follow suit.
Thank goodness. My sons go to a Montessori that has testing, they recently changed from Iowa Basics to something supposedly more intuitive – we opt out every year and I wish they would not interrupt the children’s work cycle with 3 days of testing. These tests never come back with good results
Great job garfield high school. I hope the teachers and parents of newark do the same.
My daughter had an excellent math teacher. While in his class, my child began to LOVE math. The teacher was professional, skilled, encouraging and inspiring.
At the end of the year I felt it was sad that he felt it necessary to motivate the students to take MAP testing seriously. He promised a pizza party to students that showed a five point gain.
Horray! Horray! Horray!
Anyone out there willing to write a song celebrating the teachers at Garfield?
In the Chicago Public Schools we’re pretty sure they’re looking for the big “gotcha.”
Five year old children who may have never used a computer before entering school take this test. Yes. Kindergarten & First-grade teachers will be evaluated by their students’ test scores, too. Iiiiiiiiiimagine.
I teach at an elementary school south of Garfield. We are deep into MAP testing. This is the first year we’ve reduced our MAP testing from three times per year to two. We’ve been told the scores are a predictor for passing or failing the MSP. (Washington’s state test) It didn’t prove to do so with my students last year. Many passed who, according to MAPs, shouldn’t have and vice versa. Teachers spend hours poring over the data and making “instructional decisions” grouping students for reading and math interventions. Although, the test results are not officially in our teacher evaluations, they’re certainly examined and we’re questioned about them. Meetings are called, forms are completed and filed. We’re asked to to explain them, set SMART goals, and include them in report cards. We even have to state that a child is at standard, slightly below standard, or significantly below standard in the report cards – though that was never the intention and there is no data to support these (I believe misunderstood) claims.
I’ve often wondered who benefits from all of our MAP test taking. I know it’s not the kids. I so appreciate the teachers at Garfield taking a stand. I’ve questioned the MAP on numerous occasions, but haven’t gotten anywhere, and have been too afraid to take it much further. Perhaps this will spark a more serious examination of the use of this test.
Encourage your colleagues to join the boycott.
Catfish,
If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re talking about the school I taught at in Colorado.
I created a Facebook page for parents and teachers to continue the conversation and follow along for subsequent
Comment got cutoff. “for subsequent news and events related to this.”
The Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/ParentsAndTeachersAgainstMapTesting
There is a lot I could write here, but for now, from this kindergarten teacher in Ohio… THANK YOU!!!
Yes!! Kindergarten is where it all starts.
How many assessments & how often in Ohio, jsboogiev11? In Chicago we are buried under them.
I teach second grade in CT. The amount of testing is insane. My students just completed a five-page math test. Our math consultant told us that any answer with reversed numerals should be marked wrong. I pointed out that the test is not about numeral formation, but on computation, counting, and place value. My argument got nowhere. Yes, most second-graders right their numerals the correct way most of the time, but reversals still occur. One reader of this blog asked, why do we hate children so much? I agree. I decided to just keep my mouth closed and score the tests as I see fit.
Marking reversals wrong? Who are these people??? They don’t know anything about children. And why DO they hate children so much? I just read that in Chicago kg. kids take as many as 14 assessments a year. Ha! If they score poorly on Dibels at the BOY that’s how many assessments they take by HALLOWEEN with all the mandated progress monitoring. The amount of instruction time lost to the testing insanity is unacceptable and can never be made up. Rahm Emanuel made our school day over an hour longer for the children. More time for testing.
I hope that the situation improves in CT. We hold out little hope in IL. The teachers in Seattle have put it all on the line.
Oops: “right” should be “write”, of course. Never WRITE when you’re pissed! Our consultant has NO experience teaching younger children but has no problem telling us what second-graders are supposed to do!
I figured it out early in the year… I gave about ten different types of assessment by October! We have to give the MAP test three times a year (each time two portions reading, two portions math) and if I recall correctly, it is the assessment they are going to use in their formula for the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System! By the way, here is a direct quote from my principal: “The reason we have OTES is because teachers didn’t like the way they were being evaluated.” We do DIBELS, AIMS math, MAP, unit assessments for our reading program, weekly progress monitoring, Clay’s Letter ID, etc., etc., etc. Assessment can help you know where your child is going, but it should only measure how much progress they are making and what they still need to learn in my humble opinion.