August 16, 2003
trying to score the test
The results of California's standardized tests are out (click here for a report on your local school) and I don't know whether to be encouraged or outraged. Scores are up, but seem (to the untrained eye at least) to just track socio-economic status. Now 46 schools face federal sanctions because their students aren't "proficient." (The exact definition of that term is still ellusive.)
See the article in today's LA Times.
My wife is a teacher, and she is currently spending school time [against her principles] on remediation in English and mathematics in preparation for standardized tests.
This is in addition for two weeks of remediation given to poor performers in early August, just prior to the recent start of school. If the 3rd graders and the 6th graders don't score at a certain level, the entire elementary school system will be "flagged" as a problem school.
The problem is teaching to the test and not to the state standards. There is a Public Law in our state that sets forth the minimum amounts of time to be spent on teaching specific subjects for each grade level. However, teachers are not accountable to adminstrations for what they teach; likewise, administrators do not attempt to prod their teachers to follow the state standards.
It leads me to wonder why the administrators are there in the first place! Why have a principal if you don't have to answer to anyone? It's as though we are paying top salaries to principals to act as P.R. people for the schools--they are paid to pacify parents rather than to lead their teachers.
By the way, I home school our ten-year-old son. You shouldn't have to ask why.
Posted by: Andrew on September 3, 2003 06:39 AMPost a comment
About
bio articles news contact rssMy Events
04.26: LA Times Festival of Books04.30: Claremont, California
09.23-10.04: International Literature Festival Berlin
Search
My book
In hardcover
In Morocco
In Italian
In Portuguese
In french
In dutch
In spanish
Monthly Archives
April 2008March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
November 2001
October 2001
Comments