School board member takes standardized tests

[Word Nerd]

Interesting story about a successful businessman and school board member who took his state's standardized tests: When an adult took standardized tests forced on kids.

 

From the story:

“If I’d been required to take those two tests when I was a 10th grader, my life would almost certainly have been very different. I’d have been told I wasn’t ‘college material,’ would probably have believed it, and looked for work appropriate for the level of ability that the test said I had.

 

“It makes no sense to me that a test with the potential for shaping a student’s entire future has so little apparent relevance to adult, real-world functioning."

[SKL]

I went looking online for a sample test that I could use to guess my daughter's reading level. I was pretty horrified at the way the lowest-level reading comprehension tests were worded. Basically a series of trick questions about irrelevant topics in the most stilted language imaginable. Who writes and approves these tests, anyway?

[Beth in SW WA]

Interesting story about a successful businessman and school board member who took his state's standardized tests: When an adult took standardized tests forced on kids.

 

I read this article this morning. I imagine I would have a tough time with that test. Are there any tests online to at least get an idea of what they cover? They are under lock & key in every principal's office I assume.

 

Thankfully my older dc's private school doesn't teach-to-the-test. They do annual testing but it is low-key.

 

My state is now requiring an end-of-course biology test. :tongue_smilie:

[EKS]

My state is now requiring an end-of-course biology test. :tongue_smilie:

 

What's even more ridiculous is that they're requiring the biology exam even if a kid hasn't taken biology!

While it is refreshing to see a school board member take on the testing culture with this kind of publicity stunt, it is depressing to see so little analysis or thought placed in the result. From the article, it seems like his major complaint is the content of the tests. But, I would challenge himto come up with a relatively short test, multiple choice (so it can be graded quickly and cheaply), that would determine whether any given applicant would be worthy of college admission. I can't think of a single "good" question for such a test. I'd love to be able to ask him what he would consider a valid question for this test.

 

I just looked at the test in question, and the questions all seem very easy to me, they all seem like things high school students should know. I wouldn't consider this FCAT test to be one for college admission, rather for high school graduation, but those should be very different things.

 

I'd much rather see an essay component -- defend an original position, compare two contrasting opinions, then just a simple test. Life is not a multiple choice test.

Edited December 8, 2011 by GGardner

Apparently, the test in question is the FCAT, a test mandated in Florida. Here's a sample math question from the 10th grade (!) test:

 

An electrician charges a $45 fee to make a house call plus an hourly rate for labor. If the electrician works at one house for 3 hours and charges $145.50 for the job, what is the electrician’s hourly rate?

 

And, they get to use calculators.

[jewellsmommy]

I took the sample math test too. It was no problem. :001_huh: I missed one, but was doing all the math in my head because I was pinned down by a sleeping kitten :D. Forget the calculator, if paper had been within reach, I would have owned that test! :lol:

[Word Nerd]

This article was posted on the general board at about the same time I posted it here. Here's a link to that discussion as well.