​
JANINE WALKER CAFFREY - EDUCATION INNOVATION
  • Lexplore
  • Who is Janine?
  • The Today Show
  • Contact

March Madness

3/2/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
We have come to know the term "March Madness" as a description of our national college basketball championships. But this year, the term may better describe standardized testing that is gripping public schools in much of the nation. Today is the first school day in March and the first day (outside of piloting done earlier) of PARCC testing in many states. There is much angst about our new standardized tests, which is supposed to measure student performance related to Common Core State Standards.

Many parents and educators are saying no to this test, and the other version called Smarter Balanced, for a variety of reasons. There is concern about the test itself and whether it truly measures the standards. There is concern that the standards are not developmentally appropriate. Some people believe the process used to develop the standards was flawed, making the standards themselves flawed. This is a high stakes test that will be factored into teacher evaluations and decisions regarding student placement, graduation, and the future of individual schools. And then there's the technology. Schools and districts have spent an tremendous amount of money upgrading their hardware and infrastructure just to be sure students will be able to take the test. There is fear that students' lack of basic computer skills or preparation for the test (which includes specific computer functions) may negatively impact scores.

If you have a child enrolled in public schools, are an educator or a taxpayer where these tests are being implemented, you need to know they are influencing just about everything related to public education. The debate is hot and heavy and likely will not let up any time soon. If you would like to know what all the fuss is about, go to the PARCC website and take a sample test. See if you agree these tests will help us prepare our kids for college and career, or if you agree with Louis CK who says it is nonsense with questions like, "
Bill has three goldfish. He buys two more. How many dogs live in London?"

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Janine Walker Caffrey writes about reading, education and a few other topics related to happiness and life in general.

    Archives

    June 2016
    May 2016
    November 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    May 2012
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009

    Categories

    All
    Achievement Gap
    Adult Learning
    Arts
    Civil Rights
    Common Core
    Differentiation
    Discipline
    Federal Aid
    Grand Parenting
    Happiness
    Lead By Example
    Length Of School Year
    Middle School
    Parent Engagement
    Parenting
    Personalized Learning
    Phonemic Awareness
    Phonics
    Reading
    Reading Horizons
    School Finance
    School Reform
    School Spending
    Social Justice
    Special Education
    Student Engagement
    Summer Slide
    Suspension
    Teaching
    Technology
    Tiger Mom
    Title IX
    Traffic Light

    RSS Feed