Testing
Testing always seems to be in the news lately. The latest thing is that the chancellor is considering paying kids who do well on tests. Actually he will pay every kid who takes the test, but believing in merit pay, he will pay those who score highest extra money.
This story is not as simple as it seems. It turns out that the empowerment schools do not have to use these tests. They can develop their own preliminary test instead of buying the ones created by McGraw Hill. Many of them chose not to buy the McGraw Hill tests. This seemed to upset the chancellor and so he decided to pay kids to take the tests and therefore coerce the autonomy schools into giving the tests. (Do you think Joel will be working for McGraw Hill after he leaves the DoE?)
The story is not about assessment, the story is really about using one particular form of assessment. The one you had to buy. It took a mother quoted in the Daily News to really get what the problem with all of this was: "In my mind, kids will cram to do better on a test, but what knowledge will they gain?" she said. "I never say if you get an A on a test I'll give you a reward.... What if maybe you're working really hard and you get a B? I'm trying to reward the learning."
The rule in politics and espionage is always follow the money.
Here are the two Daily News Articles
Empowerment Schools aren't giving the tests.
Quote by Mother
2 comments:
If the "A" is the reward, instead of the work to get the grade, it sounds as though it will promote cheating.
In addition, one can learn a lesson forever by making mistakes.
Yeah but the real story here is that kids who score well on standardized test are usuall, though not always, from a class of kids who don't need the money so much. I'm sure most middle class kids with a livable home situation will do just fine on the standardized test. These of course are a very small percentage of the near 50% who don't graduate. Kids from poorer backgrounds with less livable situations will not benefit from the testing, or the cash handout. Stupid idea all around, but what do you expect from the DOE?
Amomynous
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