NCLB (No Child Left Behind) is a somewhat good idea gone terribly awry. You remember having to take exams once a year or once every couple years that all kids in the state have to take? You know, like the Iowa Basics...that I took in OHIO!?! Well here in Colorado we have the CSAPs. I think it means Colorado Student Achievement Plan or something similarly inane. I know I should look it up and get it right, but that would be adding more time wasting to my day. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I'm NOT a teacher and never in my 17 year (mostly part time) career have I ever been required to spend 3 or 4 hours a day for 2 or 3 weeks proctoring group achievement testing. Sigh. I like some things about my JOB, but seriously this was not on my radar. I then spent part of the afternoon in a debate about who's responsible for helping students that are NOT already receiving special education services when the regular education staff can't figure out what to do next with difficult to teach students and as a result keep trying to get us to help. After much back and forth, we finally found a new way to say the same old thing (No). At least this time it doesn't make us sound like we don't care, because now we get to point them to the right person (or it could be the wrong person, but at least it puts them on the right path...we hope). Sigh. I feel better anyway.
March 3, 2009
Tuesday's Time Waster - Proctoring Exams for Students
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13 comments:
My partner is a teacher and you don't ever want to get her started on all that's wrong with NCLB.
jennifer...since I'm a school psychologist and work with a lot of teachers, I definitely understand and hear regularly about the problems with NCLB...heh.
Here in Texas we have TAKS tests. My understanding is the teachers teach for 3 weeks to the test and he kids don't even benefit from it. Overhaul??
In your training did you touch on Maria Montessori much? She's my hero.
Jannie...I pretty much think all the assessments are roughly doing the same thing. It's not all bad, but teaching to the test begs the question if perhaps the testing should match the goals of the curriculum, rather than the curriculum being changed to fit the testing...I'm just sayin'.
As for Montessori, I'm not familiar enough with the specifics of that approach, other than to say that I work with a lot of kids that can not learn in that method. On the other hand, other kids might benefit from it...
Is iit just me or des the word "proctoring" sound a little obscene?
Ya-ah, on the first part of your answer to my comment, matching the goals of the test to the curiculum's teaching would indeed be a nice cohesive plan. To your knowledge, is there any move towards doing this?
Jannie...the reason there isn't a move to testing the curriculum rather than teaching to the test is because there isn't a "NATIONAL" curriculum. Every school district has the freedom to choose whatever curriculum they want within certain guidelines. What I think would help is if at the state level they recommended curriculum and then built the tests around that recommendation. But I doubt we're anywhere near that idea...
I think I might fall asleep if I had to proctor CSAPs. do you get off for spring break?
Lost...yes, I have the last full school week of March off. I may fly down to Texas to visit my nephews if I can find a cheap flight and someone to watch Tucker...
Yeah, that makes snese if there is no national curriculum.
I'm almost 45 - bet I have you beat by a few.
Jannie...ALMOST 45 is still less than I am...heh!
Wow, I am a mere baby!
Why did I think you were 29?
Seriously!
Sorry 'bout that traffic ticket - those suck. I had a speeding ticket. Once. $137.00. Ouch.
Jannie...I've had two tickets in Texas...they REALLY suck there. Last one was a few years ago $155 for 11 miles over...not 12 not 13...11. At Christmas, I'm very suspicious.
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