Testing is Destroying Our Schools!

[disney junky]

I wish more parents would realize this. Education, real learning, is taking a back seat to practice testing and retesting and more retesting. We are no longer teaching. Please, don't complain to your school teachers or administrators, tell your legislators, because their attempts to hold teachers accountable is simply ruining your child's education. And test developers are enriching themselves at the expense of your child's welfare.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I agree

 

[rgf207]

I agree 1000% percent. DW is a teacher and they are forced to teach to the test all the time. Why? Because without the test scores, the schools lose funding. The teachers HATE it. The Administrators HATE it but their hands are tied.

 

[codimouse]

Agreed! The students, parents and teachers do not need this unnecessary stress. Here in Texas testing and preparing for these tests is horrible.

Sandi; sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[SondraC]

I wish more parents would realize this. Education, real learning, is taking a back seat to practice testing and retesting and more retesting. We are no longer teaching. Please, don't complain to your school teachers or administrators, tell your legislators, because their attempts to hold teachers accountable is simply ruining your child's education. And test developers are enriching themselves at the expense of your child's welfare.

I agree! My step-daughter went to school in L.A. and when she would come to our house and bring homework (we live near Pittsburgh) on the bottom of most homework pages there was a line with 2-4 questions, and it would actually say "Teach the Test, practice questions"!!! I was floored!!

 

[tvguy]

I disagree. My kids went to private (for profit) school K-8, and private (non-profit) High School.
Testing has been embraced by the private schools for years as a marketing tool to show how much more their students learn than public school students.
Long before public schools, and far more extensive testing.

When my kids hit college, (1 to a private college, 1 to a public college) both were amazed how poorly prepared their classmates were that came from public schools. They couldn't read, they couldn't write, they couldn't do math, and they didn't know how to study for tests. Both kids specifically said all those tests in school helped make a difference.

 

[rgf207]

I disagree. My kids went to private (for profit) school K-8, and private (non-profit) High School.
Testing has been embraced by the private schools for years as a marketing tool to show how much more their students learn than public school students.
Long before public schools, and far more extensive testing.

When my kids hit college, (1 to a private college, 1 to a public college) both were amazed how poorly prepared their classmates were that came from public schools. They couldn't read, they couldn't write, they couldn't do math, and they didn't know how to study for tests. Both kids specifically said all those tests in school helped make a difference.

Private schools != Public Schools. Private schools can essentially screen their students before they admit them therefore having the "cream of the crop" so to say. Public schools cannot. They have to teach to the test for everyone, including those that don't give a crap. Try getting a kid who doesn't give a darn to take and pass an HSA. Not to mention, that student's parents don't give a crap either. For the most part, that doesn't exist in private schools.

 

[tvguy]

Private schools != Public Schools. Private schools can essentially screen their students before they admit them therefore having the "cream of the crop" so to say. Public schools cannot. They have to teach to the test for everyone, including those that don't give a crap. Try getting a kid who doesn't give a darn to take and pass an HSA. Not to mention, that student's parents don't give a crap either. For the most part, that doesn't exist in private schools.

Actually, they attended Merryhill,(owned by Nobel) and Nobel also operated Paladin Academy on the campus, which is where the public schools send the students they expell and can not deal with. County Office of Education pays the tutiion. So no screening.

 

[goofy4tink]

There is a reason so many colleges and universities are now going 'test optional' or no test scores needed at all!!
I know that back a few years ago, when my now 19 y/o dd was a junior. We went to an open house at the high school. As we sat in the science class period, a parent asked about a specific topic. The teacher told us of an experience in the classroom a week or so prior to open house. A student had asked a similar (to the parent) question. It really had little to nothing to do with the curriculum for that class. The teacher had to explain to that student that it was an excellent question but since they had a curriculum all set, they couldn't deviate from it. She told the parents that it was due to having to focus on the things they needed for 'testing'!! And I truly think that's wrong. Yes, there are certain things kids need to know, but being able to deviate from what you are discussing that day, in order to delve into something else?? We should expect that to be doable!!!

Not every child is going to go to college...but sadly, we have become a society where every parent thinks their child should go. And we have made a society where testing is supposed to enable this!!! Oh well...hopefully, those in power will see the error of this way of thinking!!!

And private vs public??? There is little comparison. Private schools are not held to the same 'rules' that public schools are...they get to do pretty much what they want. This is the big reason private schools turn out 'thinkers/problem solvers' vs 'spewers of facts'.

 

[kimmyann]

I agree also. I often comment that the school system is teaching the old saying 'a jack of all trades, but a master of nothing'. The kids do not have to master simple math, writing & reading skills. It makes it equally hard on parents when the kids are gone for 7 hours a day & we have to find the time to teach what is not being taught in school. I see math being a huge problem in our house. We try to fill in the gaps, but there is only so much time in a day. Not to mention the method of teaching math. It takes more than twice as long to do a simple problem.

The system is broke, everyone is frustrated & the government doesn't have a clue.

 

[SaraJayne]

Yes, "teaching to the test" is destroying our education system.

 

[SaraJayne]

I disagree. My kids went to private (for profit) school K-8, and private (non-profit) High School.
Testing has been embraced by the private schools for years as a marketing tool to show how much more their students learn than public school students.
Long before public schools, and far more extensive testing.

When my kids hit college, (1 to a private college, 1 to a public college) both were amazed how poorly prepared their classmates were that came from public schools. They couldn't read, they couldn't write, they couldn't do math, and they didn't know how to study for tests. Both kids specifically said all those tests in school helped make a difference.

There is no comparison between private and public schools.

 

[disney junky]

I disagree. My kids went to private (for profit) school K-8, and private (non-profit) High School.
Testing has been embraced by the private schools for years as a marketing tool to show how much more their students learn than public school students.
Long before public schools, and far more extensive testing.

When my kids hit college, (1 to a private college, 1 to a public college) both were amazed how poorly prepared their classmates were that came from public schools. They couldn't read, they couldn't write, they couldn't do math, and they didn't know how to study for tests. Both kids specifically said all those tests in school helped make a difference.

I suspect we aren't talking about the same thing. If your kids are out of the system, they haven't experienced recent developments in your state. I am not referring to a chapter test I give upon completion of the reading of The Odyssey or The Iliad. I am referring to a climate where our juniors currently miss 15 or more days of instruction for state mandated testing. This comes out of their direct instruction. I'm not referring to ACT's, PSAT's or SAT's. Those are great selling points for schools. What are "those" tests your refer to?

 

[joviroxx]

I suspect we aren't talking about the same thing. If your kids are out of the system, they haven't experienced recent developments in your state. I am not referring to a chapter test I give upon completion of the reading of The Odyssey or The Iliad. I am referring to a climate where our juniors currently miss 15 or more days of instruction for state mandated testing. This comes out of their direct instruction. I'm not referring to ACT's, PSAT's or SAT's. Those are great selling points for schools. What are "those" tests your refer to?

My kids go to Catholic school and they take standarized tests every year. We take the IOWA test.

As far as "cream of the crop", while you do have to take an entrance exam to go to the High Schools, the elementary /middle school have no entrance criteria.

 

[Poohforyou]

OP, that might be the experience in your district but it most certainly isn't in ours. I don't know if it's because we're in a top ranking district in an affluent area or what but students are not spending time doing test drills. They're actually learning a lot. Our elementary school spend 5 mornings taking state testing, middle school 4 mornings and HS 3 full days.

 

[lovin'fl]

Yes, "teaching to the test" is destroying our education system.

This!

 

[disney1990]

Because of this, teachers don't teach anymore. Everything them say and do is dictated by the testing.

 

[rgf207]

Because of this, teachers don't teach anymore. Everything them say and do is dictated by the testing.

Don't forget that the curriculum is dictated by people who have never set foot in a classroom

 

[Poohforyou]

I disagree. My kids went to private (for profit) school K-8, and private (non-profit) High School.
Testing has been embraced by the private schools for years as a marketing tool to show how much more their students learn than public school students.
Long before public schools, and far more extensive testing.

When my kids hit college, (1 to a private college, 1 to a public college) both were amazed how poorly prepared their classmates were that came from public schools. They couldn't read, they couldn't write, they couldn't do math, and they didn't know how to study for tests. Both kids specifically said all those tests in school helped make a difference.

Oh please, that just ridiculous and certainly doesn't say much about the quality of those colleges. Why is it that they were admitting such poor students? You do realize that many, many ivy league and equivalent graduates went to public schools.

 

[Piper]

I am a retired teacher and I hate testing. It truly doesn't show anything about the student except whether s/he is proficient in testing. It doesn't show curiosity, research skills, love of reading, ability to think creatively, problem solving skills, etc. It shows whether s/he has mastered a certain set of skills.

To me education should not only be about teaching a set of skills, but encouraging all the things I mentioned above!

I want students to know and enjoy history because of what we learn about those who came before us and what we can learn about ourselves and how to apply what went before to what comes next.

I want students to know and enjoy science from a sense of curiosity and wanting to know how things work/go together--why they work--what would happen if.............

I want them to love reading all kinds of things--books, magazines, how-to, biographies, novels.............

I want them to enjoy writing for many purposes and WANT to do it.

I want them to enjoy math--not have anxiety about it. I want it to be fun and natural. I want them to know how to solve problems creatively and know why you should add, subtract, multiply or divide in a particular instance. Sometimes problems can be resolved in many different ways and still be "right." I want them to see that, too.

If my children were small, I would homeschool them instead of sending them to either a public or private school. I have worked among their teachers and seen that the good ones are few and far between. I worked with far more poor and mediocre ones than really good ones! In a school with 10 to 12 classes in each grade, there would be one or at most two teachers in each grade that would truly teach each child and could help the slowest as well as the quickest learners (and did consistently.) The rest taught to the middle and did as little as possible to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs or interests of their students.