I hope bloggers continue to explore the idea of just saying no to unnecessary, high-stakes standardized tests and using student data (that belongs to students and their families) to determine merit pay for teachers and to close neighborhood schools.
There’s an interesting letter–speaking of legal pushback against state testing–from New Yorker Christine Green Dougherty on the “Opt Out of State Tests” Facebook page. Doughterty specifically requested that her son (who has an IEP) opt out of the test. She was refused, with increasingly strong and threatening language. Then, the school forced him to take the test, and did not comply with the terms of his IEP. She could use more feedback: http://www.facebook.com/groups/unitedoptout/
Twenty-first century learning expert and parent Will Richardson also wrote an excellent blog on this, yesterday, launching a lively conversation: http://willrichardson.com/post/21226188628/opting-out#disqus_thread
In its infinite wisdom, the New York State Education Department has increased the length of the state ELA and math tests by 50% this year. Now three days each instead of two.
They say that the increase is due to a need to field test questions for future exams based on the Common Core standards.
In other words, they are using our students, our children, as guinea pigs.
Any other field of science requires informed consent before experimenting on human subjects. I’ve never been asked if I consent to the state experimenting on my son. The state is either arrogantly flouting standard scientific procedure or they’re saying my son, and all the other students attending public schools in the state are not human.
Either way, they’re wrong.
I suspect that if asked, they’ll say that sending our children to public schools implies consent.
That’s nonsense.
- Zoe Weil 50 Words You Should NOT Say on a Standardized Test
- Teacher, Test Thyself Posted by Brent Snavely ⋅
- Making Work to Make Class Work Posted by Brent Snavely ⋅ October 7, 2011
- “No” does not mean “NO”, and I am snarky… Posted by Brent Snavely ⋅ October 2, 2011
- Scream when someone takes your spoon! Posted by kima ⋅ January 5, 2011
- Joy in Standardized Tests? Posted by Paula White ⋅ May 22, 2010
- Some resolve & a little switch Posted by Chad Sansing ⋅ May 11, 2010
- What Was Life Like Before Standards And High Stakes State Tests? Posted by Paula White ⋅ April 20, 2010
