You are on page 1of 3

http://0-www.credoreference.com.libweb.dmacc.edu/entry/12841000 http://0-www.credoreference.com.libweb.dmacc.edu/entry/wileyse/no_child_left_behind_act http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/ uality-teaching/!1-no-child-left-behind.gs"page#all get$grants$for$doing$good$in$school%$attract$more$great$teachers &ow$the$'aw$(ffects$)eachers o )eachers$must$be$*highly$ ualified*$to$teach$core$academic$sub+ects$in$every$classroom.$ ,pecifically%$an$elementary$school$teacher$must$have$a$bachelor-s$degree$and$pass$a$rigorous$ test$in$core$curriculum$areas.$.iddle$and$high$school$teachers$must$show$they-re$competent$in$ the$sub+ects$they$teach$by$passing$a$test$or$by$completing$an$academic$ma+or%$graduate$degree$ or$comparable$coursewor/.

0esearch%$including$a$200!$study$of$three$states$by$the$thin/$tan/$1ducation$)rust%$shows$that$ students$in$schools$with$a$large$percentage$of$minority$and$low-income$students$are$more$ li/ely$to$be$taught$by$teachers$who$are$ine2perienced$and$lac/$a$ma+or$or$minor$in$the$ sub+ects$they$teach.$)he$teacher$ ualification$provisions$of$34'5$are$aimed$at$ensuring$that$ schools$where$students$tend$to$need$the$most$help$employ$teachers$who$are$ ualified$to$ provide$it.$,tates$have$struggled$to$meet$this$goal. )he$law$covers$other$teaching$staff%$too.$.ost$teachers-$aides$and$other$*paraprofessionals*$ are$now$re uired$to$complete$two$years$of$college$or$an$e uivalent$type$of$training.

http://standardi6edtests.procon.org/ Standardized testing has not improved student achievement. $(fter$3o$4hild$'eft$5ehind$734'58$ passed$in$2002%$the$9,$slipped$from$18th$in$the$world$in$math$on$the$:rogramme$for$;nternational$ ,tudent$(ssessment$7:;,(8$to$<1st$place$in$200=%$with$a$similar$drop$in$science$and$no$change$in$ reading.($.ay$2!%$2011%$3ational$0esearch$4ouncil$report$found$no$evidence$test-based$incentive$ programs$are$wor/ing:$*>espite$using$them$for$several$decades%$policyma/ers$and$educators$do$not$yet$ /now$how$to$use$test-based$incentives$to$consistently$generate$positive$effects$on$achievement$and$to$ improve$education.*$ http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar==/vol?!/num0!/@hy-,tandardi6ed-)ests->on-t.easure-1ducational-Auality.asp2 1ducators$are$e2periencing$almost$relentless$pressure$to$show$their$effectiveness.$9nfortunately%$the$ chief$indicator$by$which$most$communities$+udge$a$school$staff-s$success$is$student$performance$on$ standardi6ed$achievement$tests. ,uch$relative$inferences$about$a$student-s$status$with$respect$to$the$mastery$of$/nowledge$and/or$s/ills$ in$a$particular$sub+ect$area$can$be$ uite$informative$to$parents$and$educators.$Bor$e2ample%$thin/$about$ the$parents$who$discover$that$their$4th$grade$child$is$performing$really$well$in$language$arts$7=4th$ percentile8$and$mathematics$78=th$percentile8%$but$rather$poorly$in$science$7<=th$percentile8$and$social$ studies$72!th$percentile8.$,uch$information%$because$it$illuminates$a$child-s$strengths$and$wea/nesses%$ can$be$helpful$not$only$in$dealing$with$their$child-s$teacher%$but$also$in$determining$at-home$assistance.$ ,imilarly%$if$teachers$/now$how$their$students$compare$with$other$students$nationwide%$they$can$use$ this$information$to$devise$appropriate$classroom$instruction. ($standardi6ed$test$is$any$e2amination$that-s$administered$and$scored$in$a$predetermined%$standard$ manner.$)here$are$two$ma+or$/inds$of$standardi6ed$tests:$aptitude$tests$and$achievement$tests. http://www.aea267.k12.ia.us/assessment/standardized-testing-myths/ http://sachem.patch.com/groups/bac/-to-school/p/sachem-reflects-low-test-scores-in-line-with-state ,achem$0eflects$'ow$)est$,cores$;n$'ine$@ith$,tate

about$a$school$with$low$test$scores%$the$,tate$1ducation$4ommissioner$said%$Cohn$5.$Ding%$Cr.%$*@e$all$ share$the$same$goal:$to$ma/e$sure$all$students$in$3ew$Eor/$have$the$s/ills$and$/nowledge$to$be$ successful$in$college$and$careers%*$Ding$is$ uoted$in$the$release.$*@ith$the$4ommon$4ore%$we-re$ building$a$ladder$toward$that$goalF$the$assessment$scores$are$a$measure$of$where$our$students$are$on$ that$ladder$and$give$us$a$clearer%$more$accurate$picture$of$the$climb$ahead.*$-$theirs$add$in$paper

5uc/%$,tuart%$et$al.$*)eachers$say$the$most$interesting$things--an$alternative$view$of$testing:$in$spite$of$the$ barrage$of$anti-testing$news%$some$teachers$say$tests$have$not$sapped$their$creativity$or$hindered$collaboration$ and$that$they$appreciate$having$useful$data%$a$road$map$for$instruction%$and$a$sense$of$accountability$for$all$ educators.*$Phi Delta Kappan$=1.!$720108:$?0G.$Academic OneFile.$@eb.$1?$Hct.$201<.

Hn$the$other$hand%$there-s$a$widespread$belief$that$teachers$as$a$group$oppose$more$standardi6ed$ testing.$;ndeed%$in$the$age$of$3o$4hild$'eft$5ehind$734'58%$numerous$commentators$have$critici6ed$ testing$for$forcing$teachers$to$abandon$creative$lesson$plans$in$e2change$for$the$dreary$process$of$rote$ memori6ation$and$prepping$for$multiple-choice$tests.$>uring$his$transition$into$office%$even$:resident$ Hbama$agreed$with$these$criticisms$by$stating$on$his$change.gov$web$site$that$*teachers$should$not$be$ forced$to$spend$the$academic$year$preparing$students$to$fill$in$bubbles$on$standardi6edtests.*$@e$ chec/ed$the$education$literature$and$found$further$evidence$that$educators$and$faculty$in$schools$of$ education$are$resistant$to$standardi6ed$testing.$;n$a$cursory$review$of$three$policy-oriented$education$ +ournals$71ducational$0esearcher%$1ducational$'eadership%$and$:hi$>elta$Dappan8$over$the$past$five$ years%$we$found$that$articles$critical$to$testing$outnumbered$the$favorable$articles$by$an$overwhelming$ =-to-1$ratio.

@&()$>;>$)1(4&10,$,(E"

5ecause$our$focus$groups$were$conducted$+ust$days$after$the$end$of$the$spring$e2am$period%$we$ wouldn-t$have$been$surprised$if$the$sessions$became$venting$sessions$for$e2hausted$teachers$with$ nothing$good$to$say$about$testing.$(t$first%$the$teachers$didn-t$disappointF$most$sessions$opened$with$a$ list$of$criticisms$of$the$state-s$standardi6ed$testing$regime.$,ome$teachers$voiced$the$usual$complaints$ that$testing$is$too$focused$on$bubbling$in$answers%$that$testing$isn-t$conducive$to$the$strengths$of$more$ *active*$learners%$and$that$the$tests$are$too$*/nowledge-based*$and$*multiple-choice.*$Hther$teachers$ said$the$testing$period$could$be$shortened$so$as$not$to$e2haust$the$students.$,till$others$maintained$that$ testing$should$measure$academic$growth$rather$than$absolute$levels$of$attainment.$Hf$course%$these$ results$are$predictable$and$not$all$that$interesting. )heme$I1:$)ests$provide$useful$data.$(lmost$all$teachers$agreed$that$tests$provide$useful$data$showing$ whether$students$have$grasped$certain$concepts.$(s$one$teacher$put$it%$*;$do$thin/$it$has$been$very$ helpful$in$our$building$for$when$they$wal/$in$on$day$one$to$/now$this$/id$really$doesn-t$/now$this%$this$ /id$didn-t$understand$...$and$that$data$has$certainly$helped$us$to$/now$our$/ids$much$better.*$(nother$ teacher$said%$*as$soon$as$we$get$our$class$lists%$we-ll$have$those$results$too$...$;$actually$sat$down$with$ my$/ids$and$said%$-HD%$this$is$where$we$were$messing$up.-*$;ndeed%$these$comments$e2emplify$a$belief$ shared$by$many$proponents$and$opponents$of$testing--more$data$is$one$clearly$positive$outcome$of$the$ recent$emphasis$on$student$testing. )heme$I2:$)esting$and$standards$help$create$a$road$map$for$the$year-s$instruction.$.any$teachers$noted$ that$before$testing%$it$was$easy$to$teach$idiosyncratically--perhaps$spending$*si2$wee/s$on$the$dinosaur$ unit$and$+ust$totally$ignorJingK*$other$topics.$@ith$increased$focus$on$testing%$however%$teachers$have$ focused$on$matching$their$instruction$to$a$coherent$set$of$standards.$)hus%$one$math$teacher$said$that$ while$she$had$initially$*hated*$the$(r/ansas$benchmar/$tests%$she$has$since$changed$her$mind:$*;-m$HD$ with$it$now%$to$be$honestF$;$see$where$/nowing$the$standards$and$/nowing$what-s$going$to$be$tested$can$ help$me$plan$the$whole$year$and$ma/e$sure$;-ve$covered$everything.*$Hne$additional$benefit$of$ standardi6ation--a$*lifesaver%*$as$one$teacher$put$it--is$that$districts$can$collaborate$in$setting$a$ consistent$schedule$for$teaching$the$state$standards%$which$means$that$*if$a$child$moves$from$ Jneighboring$townK$to$our$school$...$they$should$be$right$where$we$are.*

)his$point$assumes$that$a$state-s$tests$are$aligned$with$the$state-s$curricular$standardsF$without$such$alignment%$ schools$would$face$conflicting$signals$and$would$therefore$have$a$difficult$time$creating$a$consistent$road$map.$ .ost$teachers$agreed$that$the$(r/ansas$tests$do$a$fairly$good$+ob$of$matching$the$(r/ansas$standards.$)his$ finding$is$also$in$line$with$an$argument$made$by$many$advocates$for$testing$and$standards--that$standards$foster$ clarity$about$what$should$be$taught$each$year.

)heme$I<:$)est-prep$does$not$necessarily$sap$creativity%$for$teachers$or$students.$,everal$teachers$ disagreed$with$the$notion$that$testing$forces$teachers$to$replace$creative$lessons$with$dreary$test-prep.$ Hne$math$teacher$said%$*;$used$to$thin/$and$really$had$a$strong$opinion$that$it$caused$me$not$to$be$a$ creative$teacher%$but$;-ve$changed$now.*$(nother$teacher--one$who$was$often$critical$of$testing--said$ that$*true$creative$people*$will$*find$a$way$to$be$creative$regardless$of$what$the$framewor/$is.*$@hen$ as/ed$if$tests$discourage$creativity%$one$teacher$claimed$that$*;$thin/$it-s$done$+ust$the$opposite$...$;$thin/$ adding$open$response$where$you$used$to$have$tests$that$were$+ust$strictly$multiple-choice$has$forced$ teachers$to$be$more$creative.*$Brom$another$school%$a$teacher$said%$*;n$science$and$math%$we-re$e2pected$ to$use$manipulatives$as$much$as$possible$and$do$hands-on$as$much$as$possible$...$;$do$so$much$more$ now%$so$much$more.* @e$were$certainly$surprised$to$find$that$teachers$voicing$the$*testing$prevents$creativity*$criticism$were$ distinctly$in$the$minority.$Hne$teacher$in$particular$summed$up$the$opinions$of$many$other$teachers:$*;$ thin/$that$JifK$there-s$somebody$who$says%$-Hh$all$you$do$is$teach$to$the$test$and$you-re$not$being$very$ creative%-$;$thin/$they$haven-t$been$in$the$classroom$in$a$long$time--either$that$or$they-ve$been$in$a$ classroom$or$a$school$where$their$principal$is$not$doing$their$+ob.*$;n$other$words%$whether$testing$saps$ creativity$depends$on$the$teachers$and$principals.$)hey$could$respond$to$the$perceived$pressure$by$ resorting$to$dull$lessons$premised$on$rote$memori6ation%$but$they$could$also$see/$creative$strategies$for$ ensuring$student$learning.$Bor$many$teachers$in$our$(r/ansas$sample%$the$testing$regime$fostered$ greater$creativity.

http://ideas.time.com/2012/10/11/why-its-time-to-get-rid-of-standardi6ed-tests/ )his$is$not$the$only$instance$where$race$has$become$an$important$factor$for$how$standardi6ed$tests$are$used$in$ public$education.$Cust$last$month$public$schools$in$both$Lirginia$and$@ashington$>.4.$announced$targets$for$ how$many$students$in$each$racial$group$must$pass$for$schools$to$remain$in$good$standing.$Bor$e2ample%$in$ Lirginia$only$4?M$of$blac/$students$in$each$school$must$pass$standardi6ed$math$tests$while$!8M$of$whites%$and$ 82M$of$(sians$must$do$the$same.$Hfficials$say$that$these$plans$are$not$discriminatory$because$students$who$are$ the$farthest$behind$must$progress$the$most%$but$critics$reason$that$if$one$e2pects$less$from$some$students%$those$ lower$educational$e2pectations$will$become$a$self-fulfilling$prophecy$for$school$districts$and$those$students$will$ fall$even$farther$behind.

You might also like