Archives for category: Testing
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The Great Texas Mirage (er, “Miracle”) Debunked

By dianeravitch
February 23, 2013 //
13

Jason Stanford is an Austin-based writer who has come to understand the sham of the Texas accountability system.

He knows that there is an old tradition in Texas called “brags.”

Back in 2000, a candidate for the presidency named George W. Bush bragged about the “Texas miracle.”

He said that testing every child every year from grades 3-8 would bring about amazing progress.

He said that in Texas, they did this and the dropout rate fell, the graduation rate rose, test scores went up, and the ahievement gap was closing.

Stanford shows that it was pure baloney.

There was no Texas miracle.

People in Texas know this.

School boards know it. Parents know it. Teachers know it.

But Governor Rick Perry doggedly sticks with the miracle tale.

Parents across America are outraged. So are school boards and educators.

It’s time to get organized and stop the farce.

Time’s up.

Categories Accountability, Education Reform, Testing, Texas

Sign the National Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing

By dianeravitch
February 23, 2013 //
3

Join thousands of others to say no to rewards and punishments tied to test scores:

http://timeoutfromtesting.org/nationalresolution/

Categories Testing

Massachusetts Professors Oppose High-Stakes Testing

By dianeravitch
February 22, 2013 //
9

Nearly 150 professors at universities in Massachusetts issued a statement in opposition to high-stakes testing.

As the national movement against the misuse and abuse of standardized tests grows, the mainstream media is starting to take note and report on it.

More than 800 school boards in Texas; prominent superintendents like Joshua Starr and Heath Morrison; teachers at Garfield High in Seattle; students in Portland, Oregon, and Providence, RI.

Every day, the reaction against high-stakes testing gets stronger and louder.

Categories Massachusetts, Testing

Finland’s “Culture of Trust” and Our Culture of Testing

By dianeravitch
February 22, 2013 //
26

As the Hechinger Report explains, Finland doesn’t give standardized tests, yet its students excel on the international standardized tests. Finland has this idea deeply grounded in its education system: it trusts its teachers to make their own tests and to decide how well students are doing.

By contrast, we trust no one and test everyone.

We waste billions of dollars on testing even as budgets are cut, teachers are laid off and class sizes grow. Worse, we waste a large number of weeks of instruction on testing and preparing to take tests. Kids are practicing to satisfy Pearson instead of learning new skills and knowledge.

Will our leaders ever come to their senses? Probably not until millions of parents withhold their child from the testing machine. Probably not until thousands of superintendents and principals speak out. Probably not until thousands of school boards say no.

Probably not until entire school districts refuse to give the tests or refuse to send the results to the state.

Categories International, Teachers and Teaching, Testing

Oklahoma Chief Channels Jeb Bush

By dianeravitch
February 22, 2013 //
8

Coach Bob Sikes in Florida knows how phony that state’s A-F grading system is. (This was confirmed recently by Matt Di Carlo of the Shanker Institute, who pointed out that the state changed the system to improve the results.)

Now he finds that Oklahoma State Superintendent Janet Barresi is copying the Jeb Bush playbook.

This is hardly surprising because she is a member of the Jeb Bush group of rightwing state superintendents called “Chiefs for Change.”

Barresi wants Oklahoma to grade its schools with a simple-minded A-F grade, just like Jeb Bush did. If Jeb did it, it must be right. Remember the “Florida miracle”?

Unfortunately a group of Oklahoma researchers examined her proposal and sharply criticized it.

No problem for Barresi. She has been going around the state telling people that the researchers have recanted their views. Except they haven’t.

Before Barresi was elected superintendent, she was a speech pathologist. In 1984, she became a dentist. Later, she opened Oklahoma City’s first charter school and served on the board of another charter school. She is a big supporter of privatization.

 

 

Categories Bush, Jeb, Charter Schools, Chiefs for Change, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Florida, Oklahoma, Privatization, Testing

What the Best and Wisest Parent Wants for His Child……

By dianeravitch
February 22, 2013 //
63

John Dewey wrote this great sentiment over a century ago:

“What the best and wisest parent wants for his child, that must we want for all the children of the community. Anything less is unlovely, and left unchecked, destroys our democracy.”

I do not begrudge any parent their decision to send their child to a private or religious school, so long as they pay for it themselves. What I object to is when parents choose a private school for its small classes, its experienced faculty, its wonderful curriculum, its great arts programs, and its freedom from standardized testing…..but advocate for something far different for other people’s children.

Instead of fighting to get comparable programs for public schools, they insist that other people’s children should have larger classes, a school day devoted to reading and math, no arts programs, and nonstop testing.

Sandy Kress, the architect of NCLB, is now a lobbyist for Pearson, which won a contract worth nearly $500 million from the state of Texas as the legislature cut the schools’ budget by $5.4 billion.

This comment came from a reader in Texas:

Ms. Ravitch – I found the following as I was researching private schools for my son last night. The first part is a part of the homepage for a primary school affiliated with the middle school that Sandy Kress’ children have attended. The second part includes testimonials from Sandy Kress. I removed his childrens’ names.

Why Paragon for grades 2-5?
• Central Austin Location
• Small class sizes
• Experienced and caring teachers
• Academic challenge
• Daily PE, plus Art, Music, Electives
• Selective admission
• Fully accredited
• No STARR test = more time to learn!
To schedule a visit – contact Headmaster ____________________________________________________

Testimonials for Paragon Prep

Paragon creatively concocts the perfect recipe for bright adolescents: begin with a classically driven curriculum seasoned with open-minded innovation, high moral expectations with a good dose of humor and a hilarious pinch of irreverence. Then add competitive spirit on the field and in the classroom, blended with genuine care so that each student and athlete feels a valued part of the school. But their secret and unique ingredient: the total focus is on the middle schoolers’ needs with the aim to provide the best preparation possible for high school. We as ourselves how is it possible that all this takes place in such a modest building with no aggressive fundraising or fancy bells and whistles. How do they turn out kids with a disciplined work ethic and a passion for learning? Now we know. Our son, _____, comes home everyday with stories of friendship, teamwork, and a mind brimming full of new thoughts. Paragon Prep is one of the smartest decisions we have ever made.
Camille and Sandy Kress
Parents of _____ Kress (Class of _____)
and _____ Kress (Class of _______)
________________________________________

Categories Arts Education, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), Teachers and Teaching, Testing, Texas

How One Man Makes a Difference

By dianeravitch
February 21, 2013 //
7

Tim Slekar gave a powerful speech to a meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Watch it.

If all of us spoke out, we could stop this train wreck that dares to call itself “reform.”

A teacher who heard him wrote this letter:

Dr. Slekar,

You won’t believe what I just did!

I stood before my school board at a public meeting and asked them to
consider opting out of standardized testing!

I was asked to speak on the writing process in 8th grade, but as the meeting
went on and teacher after teacher and administrator after administrator
praised the achievements we were reaching with test prep, computer programs
and data, something snapped. I said to myself, if I’m going to be here I
might as well tell the truth.

So when it was finally my turn, I said I had good news and bad news. The bad
news was that there’s an elephant in the room we haven’t been addressing. I
told them I had severe reservations about high stakes standardized testing
and went on to explain them. I told them 8th graders conservatively take 7-9
standardized tests: PSSA Reading, PSSA Math, PSSA Writing, PSSA Science,
Three GRADE tests, Keystone Algebra and Keystone Literature! I told them
there was no academic study showing this was effective – in fact just the
opposite. I told them these tests don’t measure learning, only achievement.
I told them how parents, teachers and school boards were opting out. And I
told them about you and much more.

When I was done, most of the board agreed with me. They thanked me for
speaking out. My principal slapped me on the back and said it had to be
said.

I asked the board to please meet with you and consider it.

I have my doubts they’ll follow through, but this is a big step. Would you
mind if I sent them your contact info? I’d love to get us all sitting down
at a table or to have you address the board at a public meeting. Would you
be wiling?

My school district is Steel Valley in Munhal. We’re pretty close to
Pittsburgh.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you. I feel good for speaking out
but would like to build on this. Unfortunately there were hardly any members
of the public there and NO media.

Thanks again.

Yours,

Steve

Categories Pennsylvania, Privatization, Support for public schools, Testing

Battle Creek Editorial: High-Stakes Testing Is Killing Our Schools

By dianeravitch
February 21, 2013 //
16

This editorial in the Battle Creek Enquirer is exactly right. High-stakes testing is ruining education.

Testing kids more and blaming their teachers doesn’t improve education.

The editorial rightly points out that Michelle Rhee–the advocate for high-stakes testing and every punitive measure she can dream up–is no model for Michigan.

Her teacher evaluation system in DC has produced no dramatic improvement.

Nor will she ever admit that the DC schools still have the largest achievements gaps in the nation.

When I see an editorial like this, I am reminded that the American people have not lost their minds.

But our policymakers in states like Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, and a few other states most certainly have.

Categories Accountability, Education Reform, Michigan, Teacher Evaluations, Testing

Be a Hero: Speak Up for Garfield High Teachers

By dianeravitch
February 21, 2013 //
22

Tomorrow February 22 is the day the superintendent of the Seattle schools will decide whether to punish the teachers at Garfield High who refused to administer the MAP test. They are conscientious objectors. They are defending their students against malpractice. They have bravely defied orders to do what they know is wrong.

Today is a day to send emails to the superintendent. Urge him to stand with his teachers. Encourage him to do the right thing. He too can be a national hero. Seattle can join Selma, Seneca Falls, and Stonewall as a symbol of resistance to unjust authority. Also, like them, it starts with an S.

Categories Standardized Testing, Testing, Washington State

Conservative Think Tank: Why Standardized Tests Are Great

By dianeravitch
February 21, 2013 //
15

Kathleen Porter-Magee of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute explains here why the anti-testing movement is wrong. She describes what she calls four “myths.”

Myth #1: teachers should be allowed to teach what they want, or “let teachers teach.” This is a very bad idea, she says, because teachers will have low expectations if you don’t tell them what to do.

Myth #2: emphasizing testing causes “drill and kill” instruction. Nothing could be farther from the truth, she says, because the really successful students are those who get engaging instruction. Don’t pay attention to the hundreds of millions of dollars that districts and states are spending on test prep materials.

Myth #3: tests can’t measure what really matter. What they do matter is very important so don’t worry that they don’t measure everything. Of course, very few people say that tests should not be used, but that they should not be used for rewards and punishments. When used diagnostically, they can be helpful. When used for high-stakes, they corrupt instruction.

Myth #4: standardization doesn’t work. Porter-Magee likes standardization.

It would be easy to knock down each of these “myths” and her facile answers.

The real danger of high-stakes testing is that they ruin education. Children cannot be standardized. Each one is unique. Yes, standards are helpful as guidelines but not as rigid prescriptions. The greatest dangers of high-stakes testing are that they narrow the curriculum only to what is tested. They encourage states and districts to game the system. They promote cheating (e.g., D.C.). They are based on the pretense that standardized tests are scientific instruments. They are not. They are prone to statistical error, random error, human error, measurement error. No one’s life should hinge on these fallible instruments.

Porter-Magee should google Campbell’s Law and study it. Also, read Daniel Koretz’ book “Measuring Up.”

Categories Childhood, Pre-K, K, Students, Teachers and Teaching, Testing
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