EMS83 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 I don't believe in standardized tests. Or compulsory attendance. Or State oversight. However, I do comply with my state's laws, which I can accept as a compromise. We do not have to report test scores or submit lesson plans, or any of that. The children are required to test every few years. When we get to our first lovely test, I'll explain what it is, why they're taking it, and the mechanics of taking it and that it has no bearing on anything whatsoever. The SAT for college hopefuls is a bit different, but until then? I don't buy that the Test is in anyway important or indicative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/us/former-school-chief-in-atlanta-indicted-in-cheating-scandal.html?_r=0 And then you read stories like this. $$$ for the school, in bonuses, professional acclaim etc. (Can't terribly blame them when low income schools struggle as it is) This is what I meant above about the reward and punishment mentality. I wasn't talking about simple and innocent motivators. When I first started thinking about the decision to homeschool, one of my first ideas was that school has become too much like a business, a corporation. Tests and govt funding and the webs of bureaucracy and politics have no place in my child's education. I think that motivating a student is fine, reward for a job well done is fine, using some sort of assessment tool to evaluate strengths and weaknesses to help plan for a course of study for a student is fine. I firmly believe that all the problems we see with these tests are due to connecting the scores with $$$. Jonathan Kozol. Highly recommend his books. That article. Wow. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 What's bizarre is that so many people seem to think that CC will somehow fix our woes when it seems like it's set us up for more scandals like the Atlanta one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 You know when my kids were attending this school who just got this new principal, the school would not help those with special needs (denied special needs services) and basically sent those away and encouraging those who wouldn';t score well not to take the test. When the test scores came back of course the scores were high. It was not representative of the true population at the school. SAD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I haven't found life to be a basic skills test of language arts and mathematics. Education should prepare for LIFE, not a limited set of knowledge that people often forget post-test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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