Trudy Jermanovich writes:
“I’m a retired teacher with 35 years experience teaching all grade levels and several subjects including “gifted” students. Luckily, most of my experience was before high stakes testing destroyed the autonomy of teachers. These state tests are primarily a vehicle for grading and closing some schools, diverting students to privately controlled charter schools, or to private schools through a state voucher system. This practice leads to further economic and racial segregation in our society. The yearly state tests are not indicative of anything except the social class of the parents. To be designated as a “gifted” child, there are a battery of tests and teacher observations which are required so that additional public funding is allocated to that student. Frankly, I would bet that often it is the parents of gifted or high achieving students who see through this farce and choose to have their child “Opt Out” of the yearly standardized state tests. The money and time which has been diverted to the collection of student data is a prime cause of many problems in our public schools. Becoming involved in the “Opt Out” movement is one way that concerned citizens can voice their outrage and help “the system” return to trusting the professionals in the classroom I urge everyone to seek out their state and local Opt Out group and stand up for real public schools before it’s too late. I want to thank all the people around the country who continue their support for this important movement.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Truer words have not been spoke. Spot on.
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So many “reformers” and politicians blaming and harassing public schools with no admission, and almost no journalism forcing an admission, that “The money and time which has been diverted to the collection of student data is a prime cause of many problems in our public schools.”
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As E.D. Hirsch points out, the ELA tests pretend to test skills, but they really test background knowledge. This means that the wealthy kids will almost always score higher.
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Ponderosa,
On every standardized test, regardless of subject, wealthier kids score highest. Poor kids score lowest. Not because of what is or is not taught in school but because of what happens outside school: access to health care, food, family, secure home, vocabulary, life experiences.
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Diane,
I agree that poverty must be addressed if we ever want to eliminate the achievement gap. However I am persuaded by Hirsch’s analysis of French schools’ recent history in Chapter 7 of Why Knowledge Matters. Prior to 1989, France had a knowledge-rich curriculum that caused the achievement gap to narrow as kids proceeded through school. The data is compelling. Then they adopted an American-style skills-based curriculum. From that point on, the achievement gap in France would widen instead of narrow as kids went through school, as it does, scandalously, in the United States. Curriculum mattered. Poverty insures that there will always be an achievement gap, but the right kind of curriculum can ameliorate it. I’m curious to know what you think of the French case.
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Sorry, but you can’t cure poverty with curriculum. Hirsch is an idealist.
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They score higher because they are wealthy?
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Morgan,
On every standardized test given anywhere–local, state, national, international–kids from affluent families have higher scores than kids from poor families.
Secret: Kids from affluent families have good medical care, food security, home security, an intact family in a neighborhood free of violence, etc. etc. I suggest you read my book “Reign of Error” where I go into detail.
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This teacher understands the forces behind the testing curtain. I have railed against inaccurate testing my entire career. As an ESL teacher, especially in the early years of my career, I stood up against all the ranking and sorting of the psychologists and standardized testing. At first, I was considered a renegade because I pointed out the bias in the testing that kept my students out of “gifted” and advanced classes due to the exclusionary norms that ranked culturally different students as less capable. It took some time, but I earned the respect of those that resisted at first. The students I fought for were doing well! I pushed for ELLs to be included in challenging courses, and I also tried to keep rural, uneducated ELLs out of special education unless there was a clear indication of a neurological impairment as some students just needed more time to learn English and academics.
I believe we must offer as much opportunity to as many students as possible. It took time, but eventually the school district, with the insistance of the active, local NAACP, caught up to my views. In the later years the high school even offered summer academic bootcamps to minority students with potential so students could be prepared to tackle Regents and other advanced courses. Testing is often used to pigeon hole minority students and deny them equal access. High stakes testing is used to rank and sort to support of the same bias, and it is also used to destroy teachers’ careers and public schools.
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I remember taking the tests at school, and nowhere on those tests did I have to fill out that my parents were divorced, family was large, we’re eating leftovers, and we packed lunches or we had free lunch. Kids who worked hard in school took AP classes because they could and wanted to, not because the opportunity wasn’t available to all. I saw for myself that the kids who were highly motivated advanced with no regard to their race or any background. I barely graduated high school, but when I went to college, I was on the Dean’s list and President’s list. I know that no one held me back but me. But I didn’t see my own potential until I went to college. I am saying this as a majority (I am sure you know what I mean). I didn’t have it any better or worse than any other student, I was lazy, didn’t do my homework, and consistently fell behind. And I could tell you that no teacher (not even the few teachers I couldn’t stand) is to blame for my inadequacies in the classroom. The problem is, there were so many classes that didn’t represent the students dreams of any actual career until now.
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How refreshing.
I was shocked to see such an independent, responsible view on this blog. You are clearly lost.
Mine was a similar road but we were one of the wealthier families in town, as my Dad was had a trade. The poorest kid in school only got as far as the Naval Academy and Kings College, following his older brother.
Excuses are not productive.
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Ah the old I walked to school uphill both ways so younshoukd to or the this is my experience so it should be true for everyone. High stakes tests as they are used today, and have always been used, condemns schools, teachers, and students despite being a really terrible way to assess anyone’s knowledge , ability, or capability. You do realize all these tests have caused schools to close, teachers ‘ careers to be destroyed, and funding to be lost. No one gets to see these tests or how they are greased. The goal posts changed every two years in Florida. It’s a moving target that is not based on any kind of educational research it sound pedagogy. It does a damn good job of keeping systemic oppression of the poor and the non Whites in place. And after 20 years of this crap you don’t see it, you just don’t want to see it.
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Exactly right, Ro.
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The reality is that parents care about there children and if they can opt out of testing by going to a private school that is what we are doing
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