I'll leave you with this note before I head out on vacation.
One of my favorite educational sites asks the really hard (and interesting) questions. This month's pondering centers around standardized testing. You know, the bane of the educational system. Is it really as bad as all that?
I've wondered the same, but have kept it to myself thus far. Mostly because I just wasn't sure of the answer. The MAP (Missouri's standardized test) questions I've seen have been deeper, thicker questions.
The article cited above makes the case that our skill and drill tests, those of the memorize and regurgitate facts fare, occur more on the local classroom level than on state tests.
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2 comments:
Standardized tests are not that bad. It is the overemphasis on such tests that causes the problem. Standardized tests are just one tool in education and when we make them the most important thing in schools, we are shortchanging students' education. In Missouri, for example, we train children to pass the MAP tests, but odds are they are not going to have to go through life passing standardized tests. We may be shortchanging their futures in exchange for scores that mean nothing.
Enjoy the vacation.
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