Out here in California, the minions of teachers are skittering and cramming for the California Standards every April. Some say that NCLB leaves the low kids behind. Others say it is a good approach to education. I say it’s a narrow focus for gauging the effectiveness of education.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has produced an arena where teachers are pressured to make kids score 75% or higher on this annual standardized test. The standards that comprise this test are explicitly laid out at the California Department of Education website, and teachers see this as their “Bible” in performing a successful job in 2007.
In 185 days of instruction, there are thankfully about 25 that can be dedicated to the arts, science, and social sciences.
If 50% or more of the class scores 75% or higher, then the teacher probably did a half-quality job (some might argue). Others might say the class that has 80% proficiency excels only in academic prowess and that at the expense of artistic social development. In 2 weeks, the state will be done testing and the papers will report the results to a curious world. Every teacher should have a goal, but one might question if one annual standardized test should be the only measurement of public education.
2 Comments
Hi Damian I am looking for the blog that preceeded this one. I am a teacher here on the E/coast and I would love to read this. I currently teach k and they are already beginning to talk about a 60 minute bubble test for outgoing kindergarten student
If you still have it and would allow me permission to post it in our lounge I would appreciate it.
Thanks
@Stephanie: Thanks very much. That article is no longer since I felt I said it all in this one. Thanks for your comment. I hope you’ll post this one up and people find agreement the test is a narrow target.
I’m not saying it doesn’t measure anything, we should just count the cost of throwing all our resources at NCLB. Thanks again for stopping by. What do you think?