Sunday, November 4, 2007

Protest

I find it interesting--not necessarily effective--that a teacher refuses to administer the state-mandated standardized test. Other than gaining a bit of notoriety and calling attention to something already not popular, I'm not sure what the teacher hopes to accomplish. While I do not believe the state tests are a good idea, I can't say a protest of this sort will accomplish much.

Granted, I don't know what the Wisconsin state test covers, but I do know I can get over 90% of my kids to pass it without much additional workload or adjustment to my classroom curriculum. Really all I do is wordsmith my questions to match the test's language and ensure the students answer in a particular style.

I firmly believe the age of standardized testing will pass within 4-5 years when just about every school in my state is labeled as failing. The public will be outraged and will pressure the government to make changes if someone does not intervene between now and then.

Time will tell.

2 comments:

Mrs. Chili said...

Dear God/dess, I hope you're right about standardized testing. I feel as though the pendulum of idiocy has swung SO far that, really, the only way to GO is back.

I was listening to NPR the other day - they were talking about standardized testing - and one teacher (or maybe it was a vice principal) said, and I'm pretty much quoting here, that "we teach them how to pass the tests and hope that somewhere along the way a little REAL learning gets in."

Tell me exactly HOW that serves our kids - and our future???

Anonymous said...

Hi, Dr Pezz,
I read your comments on the civil disobedience re standardized testing, and I'm wondering if you would be willing to write a brief opinion piece (300-600)for our online pub that would explore both sides a bit more. Read of another similar incident in Canada. E-mail me soonest, if you can. Thanks!
-Rick (rallen@ascd.org)