Common Core increases (yet again) the testing requirements on students. a) Testing doesn't measure what it purports to measure. b) Too often, the existence of standardized testing controls the curriculum, as schools "teach to the test." c) Testing takes time away from real learning.
Not only that, but testing can frustrate children and make them feel stupid. Here is one story of a mom who helped administer standardized tests to a kindergarten class. It makes you want to cry. Even in the best of circumstances, standardized tests are designed so that kids CANNOT do them: that's the sorting mechanism. The tests are supposed to be so hard that everybody hits a point of incompetency. On top of that, tests aren't always administered in the "best of circumstances."
For those with kids in the public schools, many states allow parents to opt-out their kids from the state-mandated testing. For Wisconsin, information is available at the DPI website. Information for other states may be researched at an Opt Out website.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
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I couldn't make it through that account of kindergarten testing.
ReplyDeleteThose poor kids. They should be playing with dollies and Lego and making mudcakes and digging holes, not taking standardized tests in a lab. ::sob::
Yes!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's why it's important for public-school parents to know that opting-out IS a possibility.