Even More Testing
Sent to the San Bernandino Sun, April 11
If teachers think there was too much testing with No Child Left Behind, wait until they see what is coming next ("Study: Most Teachers Pan No Child Left Behind 'Too Much Teaching to the Test,' They Complain," April 11).
According to the Blueprint for Reform, released by the US Department of Education, the new standards will be enforced with new tests, which will include "interim" tests in addition to those given at the end of year.
No Child Left Behind only required reading and math tests. The Blueprint recommends testing in other subjects as well. The Blueprint also insists we measure growth, which could mean testing in the fall and in the spring, doubling the number of tests.
This is an astonishing development, in light of the fact that schools are already becoming test-prep academies. It is also a waste of money: There is no evidence that increasing testing increases learning.
Stephen Krashen
Original article: http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14858855#ixzz0ktwxLuwZ
I don't know that the testing will necessarily be the blow-out kind of testing that we have come to associate with the PSSA. Conducting multiple assessments to measure growth can be a good thing. One of the main complaints teachers have about the PSSA is that its administration is not timely. We give it so close to the end of the year that there is little time to adjust instruction to address the learning gaps that become evident. Testing at a variety of points throughout the year to monitor student progress would give us helpful information that could lead to instructional adjustments that will help our students.
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