Standardized Tests and NCLB/Dumbing down education

by Lea

Jul 25, 2008

How have the standardized tests that are required for NCLB changed the way you teach or the way curriculum is managed in your school district? I know that in our state, the tests have very low standards, but since the kids have to pass it, that is all the core teachers teach. Since I am not a core teacher, I feel like a "forgotten child" and don't feel important at all. During the testing window, students are pulled out of class constantly, so lessons are impossible to plan and teach. The low standards really bother me. We have scores that show that the kids can pass and only answer 25 out of 60 questions correct. Then, the tests are counted as the exam grade, and kids who pass get an automatic "A". Talk about dumbing down education! What do the rest of you think?

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Kim/AR/math On 7/25/08, Lea wrote: > How have the standardized tests that are required for NCLB > changed the way you teach or the way curriculum is managed > in your school district?

I think since we are hitting a plateau with AYP, we are seeing more and more math and literacy skills being incorporated into lesson plans throughout the school...See MoreOn 7/25/08, Lea wrote: > How have the standardized tests that are required for NCLB > changed the way you teach or the way curriculum is managed > in your school district?

I think since we are hitting a plateau with AYP, we are seeing more and more math and literacy skills being incorporated into lesson plans throughout the school. eg. The art teacher does art lessons with Fibonacci sequence.

I think teachers are paying more attention to the state standards instead of just teaching what is in the textbook.

> I know that in our state, the > tests have very low standards, but since the kids have to > pass it, that is all the core teachers teach.

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying here. In our state the standard for passing the state test seems to be getting lower and lower, as well. But, the test questions themselves aren't any easier - just a lower cut score. So, we are still trying to teach higher order thinking skills within our state frameworks.

> Since I am > not a core teacher, I feel like a "forgotten child" and > don't feel important at all. During the testing window, > students are pulled out of class constantly, so lessons are > impossible to plan and teach.

In our school, all teachers are needed to administer the test. So, students are not pulled from non-core classes - there are no classes meeting during that time.

> The low standards really > bother me. We have scores that show that the kids can pass > and only answer 25 out of 60 questions correct. Then, the > tests are counted as the exam grade, and kids who pass get > an automatic "A". Talk about dumbing down education! What > do the rest of you think?

It bothers me to that less than 50% can be considered passing. That is the case with my state as well.

Our state test contains open response questions, so we do do not get the results back in time to include these as part of the students' grade. I think that giving students an A when only correctly answering 50% of the questions is wrong. Have you made your feelings on this known to the principal?

Jul 25, 2008

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Lea I have made my feelings known about the exam thing since the beginning. Even some of the core teachers are against it since it inflates the grade and a student moves to the next level based on such a low state score. We have multiple choice questions only; they are repetitive and require rote memorization only. Higher level thinking skills have gon...See MoreI have made my feelings known about the exam thing since the beginning. Even some of the core teachers are against it since it inflates the grade and a student moves to the next level based on such a low state score. We have multiple choice questions only; they are repetitive and require rote memorization only. Higher level thinking skills have gone by the wayside and colleges are stating that they have to remediate students who do have a diploma and passed the state tests because they don't really have creative or higher level thinking skills. I am just glad that within the next decade, I can retire. I would like to make a difference in education and rally teachers for change, but I don't see that happening since every state has different tests with different standards. The only thing we seem to have in common is competing for the federal dollars based on the test scores. I agree that more math and literacy skills are being incorporated into other subject areas, but I also think that we are omitting the skills that would be taught in those other areas b/c we are trying to incorporate basics skills for passing the test.

The questions aren't getting any easier; they weren't that hard to begin with since they are multiple choice. But when enough kids don't pass it with the current standard, the standard is lowered so more will pass and the federal dollars will continue to flow into the state's coffers and on to the local districts.

I used to enjoy teaching; now it is just my job.

Lea

On 7/25/08, Kim/AR/math wrote: > On 7/25/08, Lea wrote: >> How have the standardized tests that are required for NCLB >> changed the way you teach or the way curriculum is managed >> in your school district? > > > > I think since we are hitting a plateau with AYP, we are > seeing more and more math and literacy skills being > incorporated into lesson plans throughout the school. eg. > The art teacher does art lessons with Fibonacci sequence. > > I think teachers are paying more attention to the state > standards instead of just teaching what is in the textbook. > > >> I know that in our state, the >> tests have very low standards, but since the kids have to >> pass it, that is all the core teachers teach. > > > I'm not sure I follow what you are saying here. In our state > the standard for passing the state test seems to be getting > lower and lower, as well. But, the test questions themselves > aren't any easier - just a lower cut score. So, we are still > trying to teach higher order thinking skills within our > state frameworks. > > > > >> Since I am >> not a core teacher, I feel like a "forgotten child" and >> don't feel important at all. During the testing window, >> students are pulled out of class constantly, so lessons are >> impossible to plan and teach. > > > In our school, all teachers are needed to administer the > test. So, students are not pulled from non-core classes - > there are no classes meeting during that time. > > >> The low standards really >> bother me. We have scores that show that the kids can pass >> and only answer 25 out of 60 questions correct. Then, the >> tests are counted as the exam grade, and kids who pass get >> an automatic "A". Talk about dumbing down education! What >> do the rest of you think? > > > It bothers me to that less than 50% can be considered > passing. That is the case with my state as well. > > Our state test contains open response questions, so we do do > not get the results back in time to include these as part of > the students' grade. I think that giving students an A when > only correctly answering 50% of the questions is wrong. Have > you made your feelings on this known to the principal?

Jul 26, 2008

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competing for federal dollars Each state gets to set there own standards. Then the schools compete, COmparisons of AYP naturally follow. What a bunch of Bll! Since states set their own standards there is a huge difference between the toughest and the easiest states.

In one state you have 70 percent pass rate, but only about 25% passing a national test, while in a stat...See More

Aug 3, 2008

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