Posts Tagged ‘Standardised Testing’

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3 Reasons Why Writing Standards are Falling in the Classroom

August 2, 2017

 

The standardised Naplan tests are back and surprise, surprise, it shows a decline in writing standards.

Many will be scratching their heads and asking why?

Below are 3 theories I have to explain the decline.

 

  1. Kids hate writing – It’s a struggle to get kids to write. They detest it. And don’t even bring up a second and third draft. No way are kids amenable to fixing up their already “perfect” first attempt. Teachers, in their bid to engage the class often keep writing lessons to a bare minimum. This of course has a major impact on the quality of their writing.
  2. Technology – There is a technology race among schools. Schools are constantly trying to outdo each other by embracing cutting edge technology. Technology does next to nothing to improve “bricks and mortar” skills like writing.
  3. Teachers Choose What Writing Genre to Focus on – Teachers are often given the choice as to what writing genre to focus on. They often choose the easy ones and the ones they are most comfortable with. Recounts and procedural writing are popular mainstays in classrooms. Instead of finding out the genres the students have already covered in previous years, teachers are only to happy to revise the same old tired genres for no other reason that they are easy to teach, write and mark. In the meantime, more difficult genres are hardly ever looked at.

 

 

Click on the link to read You Can Blame Me for My Students’ Standardized Test Scores

Click on the link to read Teacher Writes Truly Inspirational Letter to Her Students

Click on the link to read Redirect Your Frustrations About Common Core

Click on the link to read Perhaps There Should be a Standardized Test for Teachers

Click on the link to read Reasons Why I am Forced to Teach to the Test

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You Can Blame Me for My Students’ Standardized Test Scores

May 10, 2015

 

testing-pressure

On Tuesday my students begin their arduous week long testing regime. I hope they do well, but if they don’t you can pin the blame on me.

 

And while you’re at it …

 

  • You can blame me for running a happy and vibrant classroom
  • You can blame me for teaching to the curriculum instead of the test
  • You can blame me for challenging the achievers and assisting the strugglers
  • You can blame me for replacing any hint of bullying with unity and comoraderie
  • You can blame me for turning pressure and anxiety into confidence and determination
  • You can blame me for putting learning into perspective
  • You can blame me for regarding character and values as more important than test scores

 

So go ahead. Blame away!

 

 

Click on the link to read Teacher Writes Truly Inspirational Letter to Her Students

Click on the link to read Redirect Your Frustrations About Common Core

Click on the link to read Perhaps There Should be a Standardized Test for Teachers

Click on the link to read Reasons Why I am Forced to Teach to the Test

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Teacher Writes Truly Inspirational Letter to Her Students

April 29, 2015

 

inspirational-teacher-letter

 

In a few weeks my students are going to be subjected to standardised testing. I am so inspired by this letter, that I want to write them one of my own.

 

 

Click on the link to read Redirect Your Frustrations About Common Core

Click on the link to read Perhaps There Should be a Standardized Test for Teachers

Click on the link to read Reasons Why I am Forced to Teach to the Test

Click on the link to read There is Nothing Wrong With Testing Young Children

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Perhaps There Should be a Standardized Test for Teachers

January 3, 2015

literacy

Of course I am not in favor of persecuting teachers even further by subjecting them to standardized testing, but you can’t help but shake your head at the lack of skills some of us possess:

 

Many would-be high school teachers reportedly have worse spelling skills than their prospective students, raising concerns within the education union.

The union is seeking to have entry standards on new teachers raised after a study revealed many teachers had trouble with spelling and had a limited vocabulary, News Corp has reported.

In a study of more than 200 teaching undergraduates, none were able to spell a list of 20 words correctly, with some not getting even one word right.

Among the more frequently misspelled words were “acquaintance” and “parallel”.

The university students also had trouble with word definitions.

Some believed “sanguine” was a type of pasta, while others defined “draconian” as having something to do with dragons.

Australian Education Union president Angelo Gavrielatos said it was evidence standards for new teachers needed to be raised.

The federal government will soon release a report in how to improve teaching standards.

 

Click on the link to read Reasons Why I am Forced to Teach to the Test

Click on the link to read There is Nothing Wrong With Testing Young Children

Click on the link to read The Negative Effects of Standardized Testing are Exaggerated

Click on the link to read Standardized Tests for Teachers!

Click on the link to read Oops, We Seem to Have Lost Your Exams

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Reasons Why I am Forced to Teach to the Test

November 12, 2014

recess

I’d love to say, “Stuff the test!”, but I can’t.

Show me a teacher that loves standardized testing and I’ll show you a lemon with a state of the art car alarm installed in it. How I wish I could ignore the test and just concentrate on teaching the curriculum. But there are compelling reasons why I can’t and they are as follows:

 

1. The Unfairness of the Test – In Australia the school year starts in late January and finishes mid-December.  The testing occurs early in the year, somewhere between April and May. One would have assumed that since the testing happens e.g. at the beginning of Year 5, that the students will be tested up to the end of grade 4. That isn’t the case. The students are tested on skills up to the end of Grade 5. In other words, there are questions on that test that my students have never encountered and according to the curriculum aren’t expected to know for another 6 months!

 

2. The Wrong Teacher Looks Bad – So the test occurs early in the year, meaning I am reliant on last years teacher to ensure that skills are learned and standards are maintained. Logically speaking, since it is early in the year, if my students perform poorly it is more a reflection of years past rather than of me. Yet, when are the results sent to the parents? At the end of the year. So parents read the results and automatically heap blame on the classroom teacher. The fact the students sat for their exams early in the year would never occur to them.

 

3. The Deep End – Up until the 3rd grade there is no real formal testing in the classroom. Nothing that can be compared to the barrage that is standardised testing week anyway. So, it is my duty to prepare my students for what they are about to encounter. This involves, how to mark answers, correct errors, work within time constraints, fill in personal details and how to best go about answering multiple choice questions. To make matters worse, in Australia, the written English essay question (often a persuasive essay), is exactly the same for grades 3, 5, 7 and 9. This means that my grade 3’s have to tackle the very same question with the very same wording as a year 9 student!  How can I not prepare them for that?

 

4. The Consequences – I pride myself on teaching in a specific type of style. This is a style I have developed on my own according to my own unique teaching philosophy. It is a popular style with my students and so far has been endorsed by my parents, and then in turn my Principal. What happens if my students get mediocre scores? What’s the first thing that gets scrutinised? My teaching style. All of a sudden questions are asked. Perhaps he should take a more traditional approach? Perhaps his lessons are a bit light on for substance? He should refer to textbooks more often for his maths. Perhaps he should go back to the sanctioned readers and dispense with his class novels. I can’t afford such negative attention. To lose my style would drain me as a teacher and make fronting up to work so much less pleasurable.

 

I accept that by teaching to the test for a few months, I make myself a lesser teacher. But do I really have a choice?

 

 

Click on the link to read There is Nothing Wrong With Testing Young Children

Click on the link to read The Negative Effects of Standardized Testing are Exaggerated

Click on the link to read Standardized Tests for Teachers!

Click on the link to read Oops, We Seem to Have Lost Your Exams

Click on the link to read I’m Just Gonna Say It: Standardised Tests Suck!

Click on the link to read Too Many Tests, Not Enough Teaching

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There is Nothing Wrong With Testing Young Children

July 17, 2013

testing

Whilst I am critical of the size and formal nature of standardized testing, I fully approve of assessing student development from a very early age. As long as the tests are conducted in a non-threatening manner and the results are used to assist the child rather than judge the quality of their teacher I have no problem with it.

Children’s academic ability could be tested as soon as they start primary school aged four or five under plans unveiled by Nick Clegg.

Pupils are currently tested at seven to set a ‘baseline’ for measuring their progress in school.

But details of plans to do this during reception year emerged in a consultation document launched by the Deputy Prime Minister, which also includes plans to rank primary school pupils against their peers across the country.

This would see primaries having to ensure 85 per cent of pupils are ready for senior school or risk triggering an Ofsted inspection.

Pupils could also be ranked against their peers across the country, being put in 10 per cent achievement ‘bands’, showing, for example, if they are in the top 10 per cent.

Click on the link to read The Negative Effects of Standardized Testing are Exaggerated

Click on the link to read Standardized Tests for Teachers!

Click on the link to read Oops, We Seem to Have Lost Your Exams

Click on the link to read I’m Just Gonna Say It: Standardised Tests Suck!

Click on the link to read Too Many Tests, Not Enough Teaching

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The Negative Effects of Standardized Testing are Exaggerated

June 12, 2013

 

You only have to read some of my posts on standardized testing to be certain that I am hardly a fan, but as bad as they are, there are bigger detracting factors effecting education today than these tests. The rap song above which was recently released and is becoming popular among teachers is an example in point.

Click on the link to read Standardized Tests for Teachers!

Click on the link to read Oops, We Seem to Have Lost Your Exams

Click on the link to read I’m Just Gonna Say It: Standardised Tests Suck!

Click on the link to read Too Many Tests, Not Enough Teaching

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The Dog Eat Dog Style of Education

August 23, 2012

Classrooms are increasingly becoming a case of a battle of the fittest. The pressure to deliver individual achievement on curriculum benchmarks and standardized testing have not helped. More and more we are seeing classroom relationships fracture and a strong preference for achievement over effort.

A friend of mine discussed an issue he was having with his son’s school. He told me that his son’s teacher is rewarding some of his students for reaching a certain goal. His son, among others, are excluded from a field trip because they didn’t fully rote learn the expected material. He tried his best, but didn’t get there by the deadline. He is in Grade 4 and is already being excluded for not meeting benchmarks.

When I was doing my teaching rounds I encountered a scenario in the music room where a child had disturbed the class. The teacher was considering punishing the child by excluding him from the next activity. The teacher decided to ask the class to determine this child’s fate. The teacher gave them two options. The first was to give the boy one more chance, the second was to exclude him. I watched in amazement as the entire class voted to prevent him from taking part in the activity. The class were taught to be ruthless towards each other so that’s what they did.

When will our educators realise that a child cannot achieve their potential when they are not valued for their efforts or respected by their peers? All this talk of ‘child centered teaching’ and ‘teacher centered teaching’ is off the mark. I prefer, what I call, ‘classroom centered teaching‘ – where the needs of the group necessitate the style in which I teach. According to this method, it is my job as my first priority to ensure that each child feels valued for who they are, what skills they have and how they are treated by their peers.

This means that when there is a disagreement among students, I do not hesitate to use teaching time to work things out. The time I invest into the social environment in my class has a strong impact on academic progress. Those of you that have witnessed a rift between students or groups of students in the classroom may have noticed how hard it is to get the class to focus on classwork when the  playground politics is unresolved.

Whilst standardised testing doesn’t consider a child’s effort or the qualities and interests of a child, I can think of nothing more important. When a teacher decides to treat half the class at the expense of the other half, they are anointing winners and losers.

My students are all winners.

Click on the link to read Problem Kids, Suspensions and Revolving Doors

Click on the link to read The Solution to the Disruptive Student Has Arrived: Body Language Classes
Click on the link to read When Something Doesn’t Work – Try Again Until it Does
Click on the link to read Teachers Should Stop Blaming Parents and Start Acting

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Standardized Tests for Teachers!

August 2, 2012

After what I put my students through last term, I’m sure they would love to see me sit for some exams. They would be more than happy to preside over the testing and ensure I don’t try to cheat from the teacher sitting next to me:

The Indonesian Government’s been forced to defend its attempt to test the country’s one-million teachers, after the first run was plagued with problems and allegations of corruption.

In an attempt to improve education, Indonesia has begun testing the performance of teachers, instead of students.

This week it launched the first online exam to assess the abilities of those who are educating the country’s children.

One million teachers will be tested in 3,500 locations across 33 provinces.

But the head of the Education Ministry admits that on the first day, only 10 per cent of the teachers who attempted were able to log on and sit the test.

Click on the link to read Oops, We Seem to Have Lost Your Exams

Click on the link to read I’m Just Gonna Say It: Standardised Tests Suck!

Click on the link to read Too Many Tests, Not Enough Teaching

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Standardised Testing Meets Spin City

May 15, 2012

A few weeks ago I sought to have an interview with Australia’s Education Minister regarding the upcoming NAPLAN standardised tests. I am still waiting for a reply.

Luckily, I came across his op/ed piece over the weekend, where he tries to allay the fears of the parenting community and make a case for these highly pressured, incredibly unpopular series of tests.

In his piece, he claims that:

Parents and the community should rest assured that the NAPLAN tests are simply a way of measuring how our students and our schools are performing in the three key areas of reading, writing and numeracy. Nothing more, and nothing less.

I assure you Mr. Garrett that parents of 8-years olds subjected to 4 rigorous exams in 3 days understand that these tests represent much more than just a simple way of measuring child progress.

There is nothing in any of the tests that students need to learn above and beyond what is already being taught in the classroom, namely the curriculum.

I am not sure that is true. Whilst my students are expected to write persuasive essays, there is no mention of persuasive writing in the Grade 3 curriculum.

By measuring how our students are performing as they progress through school, we can get a clear national picture, for the first time, of where we need to be directing extra attention and resources.

This is just spin. This implies that these tests exist to help direct the Government in regards to spending and programs. There is no evidence of any Governmental response whether it be financial or a simple change of priorities based on the yearly NAPLAN results. Instead, the outcome of the NAPLAN is designed to expose failing schools, inept teachers and anything and everything that can divert attention from a Government good at measuring performance but poor at performing themselves.

It needs to be made clear to schools and teachers that excessive test practising ahead of NAPLAN is unnecessary. While it helps to be familiar with the structure of the tests, carrying out endless practices should not be encouraged. NAPLAN matters, but it is not the be all and end all.

Unnecessary to whom? If you and your staff were to be tested on the performance of your portfolio wouldn’t you take the time to prepare? When a class gets appraised, so does the teacher. Are we meant to sit back and watch 8-years old kids sit for their first formal exams without preparing them for the kinds of questions and scenarios they are likely to encounter?

Mr. Garett, your opinion piece tries to win over parents, yet it completely deviates from the very issue that parents are most concerned about. Parents do not like seeing their young children exposed to so much pressure. They don’t like to see their children who may currently enjoy learning, subjected to such a negative learning experience.

Today, one of my students was so frightened by the prospect of these exams that he was reluctant to get in the car. We are talking about a child that loves learning.

I have no problem with High School children being tested. But 3rd Graders? Is it really worth it?

 

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