Can anyone else hear the collective “Huzzah” from the students? Now if only all states could have this epiphany. I know I would have had a lot more fun in my high school classes if there had been fewer state tests. I most certainly agree that too much time is being spent on testing and not enough on actual learning. Maybe
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Too Much School Testing:
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4 comments:
Without a doubt less teaching to the test would be helpful in classrooms, New York state seems to thrive lately on creating Regents exams that are faulty in some form or fashion at every turn. I remember at one point while I was in high school that the year's Math III Regents had several college-level Physics questions on it and even some of the teachers had a hard time with them when they were brought to attention. Is this what schools should be feeding their students, State-created tests that serve no real purpose other than causing school administrations to clutch their coffee cups in fear of reduced funding?
I think not.
Hooray for North Carolina and the various other states that have realized the testing system has become corrupt, for now I suppose we New Yorkers just have to sit on our hands for a while longer.
Perhaps it is not so much that there are too many tests, but the fact that the tests determine how the teachers approach the class. If they are teaching to a test it is undoubtedly boring for both teacher and student. I can not imagine teaching a class how to write a 5 paragraph essay just to pass a test. New York State Regents Exams ruled my high school days and they just became monotonous, boring to learn about, and a classroom dynamic that encouraged very little original thought. GO TAR HEELS!
Throughout High school I absolutely hated taking state mandated test. Honestly, who actually enjoyed them? But I don't think you can total eliminate these tests from the system. Maybe they shouldn't count so much but how will the state know if the teaching system is effective if they don't assess our understanding of the material.
I do feel however, that the exams should not be so difficult and they shouldn't cover such specific topics, this way teachers wouldn't have to teach to the exam.
North Carolina is make a fanastic point. State funding should not be supporting for tests to make students quiver and drop out. State funding should be used to help everyone succeed. All the learning to be the "best," is stressful. I should know, I almost didn't graduate with one of those tests.
It was eleventh grade, and I remember the first day so clearly. Mrs. Breault was talking about the books, then this came out of her mouth "we have to standardize the essays to New York State level." That scared me! I tried so hard to make the essays perfect, but more I tried. The less it become to her results. I stayed after with her, and wrote it a million times. I just was not getting it! In the end, I failed. I was not repeating eleventh grade English, but I refused to have a fifty on my grade history. So, loads of extra homework and pushing from my personal goals. I earned from five months of struggling, a seventy. I almost fainted there! This was a miracle, and I did graduate with a Regents Diploma.
My story isn't a new one. I had heard my class alone had seven people fail, or near failing. Some of my classmates had to repeat eleventh grade, just for English! I didn't have to, but still I remeber the stress. I was staring at my paper, and all that practice went out the window. I was scared, since I couldn't for the life of me remember the way the essay was supposed to go! It hurt deeply, knowing my favorite subject was making me fail. Mrs. Breault was very apologetic, but there was nothing else she could do.
State testing is a cruel way to say "your state is stupid." Could you imagine the pain of being held back for one bad grade? I almost did. Why can't New York listen to North Carolina's example? The learning experience is stressful enough with divorce, hormones, pregnancy, and maybe a death of a friend. Have a heart, and listen to the students and the teachers.
In the end, I agree with ACM22. The state tests are too covered, and none of the real problems of the school are covered. What is poor Jimmy can read? What if Lily was struggling with depression of losing a grandmother? Life is too hard in high school. I truly feel the tests are too harsh, and covered alittle too much. The entire 11th grade was stressful enough with the fact: one more year! The state may have a good point to find the strengths and weaknesses of that grade. Why do it so harshly? My school was compared to five other schools, and we did fine. Thank you North Carolina for listening. Maybe soon, there will be other states to listen.
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