Testing Us All

There is so much misinformation and lack of information out there about standardized testing. Parents, teachers, and even administrators are hearing different versions of the same story in a horribly high stakes game of telephone. We are quick to react without doing our homework. It’s understandably easy to get tangled in the media muck.

Parents around the state who are refusing the test are facing many unsavory comments made by principals and superintendents, some that are threatening and verging on bullying tactics (note that our personal experience has been nothing but respectful and positive). Poor information coupled with poor attitudes can only equal one thing. A clusterf*%$. Parents, teachers, and administrators must be on the proverbial same page. One glaring omission screams from the schoolhouse rooftops, and that is 100% regard for the children. Lip service abounds, but actions like the “sit and stare” policy and forced loss of instruction time demonstrate otherwise. There is laser focus on policy at the expense of losing sight of what’s in the students’ best interest. We are talking about eight-year kids like my son Deal. We are not talking about the high stakes testing for medical school or law school and the adults that take those. We are treating education in such a punitive manner that the joy of learning has been sapped from school. Hero teachers keep the spark alive, and for them I am grateful.

I don’t think all of these comments are made with the intent of malice, but they demonstrate the tenuous nature of things in our state right now. Here are some examples of what I am hearing from parents and educators around the state.

“I was told by my daughter’s Assistant Principal, when I asked about children who were ‘refusing,’ that children couldn’t refuse and that they had not received anything from DPI on children refusing or what to do when they did. (and this was on Tuesday of last week).”

“When speaking with the Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Programs for our district, I was explaining at length why I was refusing and what my issues were with Common Core. So I gave him an example of the addition/subtraction that the second graders are required to use. I went on to explain that a simple putting down the sum of the equation was not enough. They had to draw lines, circles, and boxes and then cross out and do the same for lengthy word problems. He said to me, ‘So let me get this straight, they are not allowed to just put down the correct answer?….they don’t get credit if the lines and circles aren’t there?’……AND THIS CAME FROM THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS.“

“I was told yesterday, one day before testing, by the principle herself, that she did not know if the kids were allowed to read if finishing testing early. She said she’d have to check with the school’s site testing coordinator, the Assistant Principal, who had done the training sessions.“

“Scores are important to determine what he knows and what he needs as he goes into Nth grade.” (‘The North Carolina Final Exams were developed in response to the SBE’s summer 2011 vote requiring an annual evaluation for every teacher in North Carolina. Per GCS-A-016, this annual evaluation is required of all North Carolina school districts and select charter schools, who accepted funding through the Race to the Top federal grant and as a condition of an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver. All eligible students are required to participate in the administration of the state-designated assessments for use in the North Carolina teacher evaluation process.’ Do not be fooled by a principal or anyone telling you that elementary school EOGs are to benefit the student and will impact what they need to know for grade promotion. The quote above is pulled directly from the NORTH CAROLINA STANDARDIZED TESTING AND OPTING OUT memo dated March 25. There is no mention of student-centered benefits. In fact, when pressed, no one has been able to provide any student-based benefits.)

“Test scores are factored into final grades.” said an elementary school teacher (not true, though test scores are a factor in high school grades).

“Retention is not off the table.” (stated to the parent of a third grader who is a consistent 3 student and refusing the test) 

“Your child’s score will be held as a 1 with negative growth against his teacher and school.” (This is the biggest misperception in the test refusal process. I want to point out that according to the top two officials at DPI, the 1 scores that refused tests receive will be counted against the school, but not against the teachers (plus there will be no growth score if this is the first time the student has taken the tests. ‘Rebecca [Garland] is correct when she says the proficiency scores do not count against a teacher. There are no teacher evaluation standards that take into account whether a student scores a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 proficiency level. )

“Parents who refuse the test are punishing teachers, not supporting them. Our livelihood depends on these tests.” (That’s precisely our point! Just because it is so doesn’t make it right. No teacher’s livelihood should depend on a single test! We are trying to HELP teachers by demonstrating what a woefully misguided policy this is for teacher evaluation. Value-Added Measure has been slammed as an acceptable means to gauge and grade teacher effectiveness. ‘The American Statistical Association points out that VAMs are based on standardized tests and “do not directly measure potential teacher contributions toward other student outcomes.” They typically measure correlation, not causation. That means that the rise or fall of student test scores attributed to the teacher might actually be caused by other factors outside the classroom, not under the teacher’s control.’ Refusing the test is just one tactic in our quiver. We continue to lobby for teachers and support candidates who support teachers and public education. I was just at the legislature today talking to legislators as a matter of fact! Also, see my point above.)

“I don’t like teaching to the test but I have to for my job.” (There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, an admission of teaching to the test. This is bad for teachers and students alike.)

“Children are being forced to eat silent lunches in their classrooms and can’t have outdoor recess on testing days.” (I thought recess was protected by law and silent lunches are used as punishment on a normal day. Why are these draconian measures allowed — and because the kids might talk about the test or rush through the test are not acceptable answers.)

“My friend proctored the EOGs today. When the kids were finished (3rd grade) if they wanted to read they had to sign a paper saying to the effect they weren’t forced. Not sure if it was to take the test, or finish the test.” (Um, what?! I have a third grader. I’m pretty sure anything he signs won’t stand up in a court of law. Can minors even be asked to sign something?)

“Another school here sent out a letter telling parents that since the EOGs are on Monday they should not have normal activities or any activity that would “tire out the children” and that they should avoid the pool and if they do go it should only be for a short time and to make sure their child isn’t sunburned on Monday.” I can’t even make this stuff up, folks.