Testing is Destroying Our Schools!

[sam_gordon]

Still, I always thought Head Start was for disadvantaged kids only. When my son had speech problems, we took him for speech therapy because we had health insurance that covered part of it. I am just starting to understand the Head Start program over the past 30 minutes and I'm not remotely impressed.

One of my DSs needed speech therapy at age 3 when his articulation was waayy behind.

It never occured to me that Head Start would help him there (and I really don't think it would have). I went to our county school district and had him tested there. It was my responsibility to take him to his therapy for 30 minutes twice a week. When he started Kindergarten, he continued with his speech therapy at his public school until 2nd grade with the onsite speech teacher.

Once more... we had him tested because of some behavioral issues that were happening (as recommended by someone, don't remember who). It was the HEAD START people, when they called us back to go over the results of his screening who said his speech qualifies him. We didn't try to get him into Head Start because of speech.

 

[Southernmiss]

Once more... we had him tested because of some behavioral issues that were happening (as recommended by someone, don't remember who). It was the HEAD START people, when they called us back to go over the results of his screening who said his speech qualifies him. We didn't try to get him into Head Start because of speech.

No worries. It may be that Head Start is the place in your area to handle the early education needs of any child. In my area, it's different. That is all.

 

[LisaR]

Once more... we had him tested because of some behavioral issues that were happening (as recommended by someone, don't remember who). It was the HEAD START people, when they called us back to go over the results of his screening who said his speech qualifies him. We didn't try to get him into Head Start because of speech.

I'm not blaming you, I'm simply saying I didn't think this was the intent of Head Start. I recognize that you didn't approach them, but I'm confused as to why they contacted you (no fault of yours). The program was originally designed to be for those who have a clear disadvantage.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Maybe my public school is different, but I don't see "the test" as being any detriment to my kids' educations. My youngest is currently in his last year at his K-8 school (my oldest has special needs so his educational experience has been different, although he has taken all the same tests). Besides the dates for the tests being on the school calendar and hearing my kids talking about having taken it each year, I've never seen any evidence of "teaching to the test."

Sure, each teacher follows a standard cirriculum set by the state. They teach basic skills that I would expect from any teacher. However, I see a lot of activities that aren't on "the test." For example, my 8th grader's social studies teacher spent a lot of time talking about the election. The kids held their own mock election and discussed the results. The middle schoolers practice leadership skills by planning activities for the elementary kids. The entire student body ran outside to watch the space shuttle being flown by on the back of a 747. My son is writing a speech on how he can make a difference in his community. He's also doing a project on a famous American. He chose P.T. Barnum. Will these specific things be on "the test?" Probably not.

Beside just learning the basics, I see him getting involved in all kinds of projects and activities within his classes. I see his excitement when something really sparks his interest, and I see his reading, writing and problem-solving skills improving all the time. We're just a small public school district that adheres to California State Standards. I like seeing the testing results, both for my kids individually, for the school, and for the district as a whole. To me, it's worthwhile and hasn't impacted our school in a negative manner at all.

 

[bellebud]

I agree with you. The problem is all kids progress at different rates. Should someone that's ready to start school at 5 have to wait two years to do so? Should someone who's NOT ready to start school at 7 be allowed to wait?

not at all! Kids could still start at 4yo/5yo for K like they do here in the US. But the class has a 3-year span of kids in it. Maybe some kids go 1/2 day, some go full day at that young age.

The room would be set up so the kids who want to read, great. The kids who want to tinker with the computer, great. The kids who want to stack the blocks, great. As the kids age, the teachers introduce more concepts, they maybe have to complete a certain number of tasks a week (but not even every day), and kids can also do it the way they want. You could do math on the computer, with a worksheet, or with hands-on materials. Reading, you could sit w/ a regular book, or you could read on a tablet or computer.

As a homeschooler (my kids have also been to school), we use many different ways to learn, which suits each of my kids perfectly. When we learned the states, my dd loved to write and draw, so I printed out a blank map and a list of the states, she wrote each state a few times then colored in each state on the map after she wrote it. That assignment would have been pure torture for my ds, so I had him point to our wall map w/ a pool stick when I called out the states names. He LOVED this game and asked to play it all the time. Spelling will come later for him. But my dd loves spelling, so she did it earlier.

I'd really love to see a huge change in our schooling system (I'm also not against school, my kids went from preK to 4th/2nd and dd13 just tried public school for 8th grade - came back home to homeschooling though after 2 months). If either of my kids wanted to try regular schooling again, I'd be fine with it.

In thinking about my own life/school career, and those around me, school helped some of us, not all. Not 50%. School should be more about people excelling in their natural talents. Learning the basics of course, but not concentrating heavily on every basic when the talent and desire are just not there.

My brother is a published author. He writes for a living. He was a straight C student. He did no homework during his entire school career. He didn't attend college. He always knew he loved to write, and my mom remembers (and saved) a poem he wrote in K, because she was so surprised at how wonderful it was. My brother says he was always happy when there was an essay on a test, because he knew he'd ace that part, even if he didn't know the material very well. He'd bomb the fill in the blank part, the multiple choice part, but do very well on the written part. In 13 years of school, no one ever noticed his talent for writing or encouraged it. He's a successful writer not because of school, but in spite of it. He was always in the lowest class, not because of his actual ability or intellect, but because he didn't find it worthwhile to do the work. He also tells me he couldn't pick a preposition out of a sentence, and he probably never diagramed a sentence in his life.

We're failing kids by expecting them to all be the same, and trying soooo hard to make them all the same.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Instead of drilling it in a kids head how much they stink at something, how about focusing on their strengths? It's hard for many kids to even find their strengths and talents in our system. They all know their weaknesses though.

 

[Robbi]

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.

In our area, there's a private school that consistently gets top ratings in the country. The teachers at the three local universities have told me they see a slight difference between the public school and the students who attended the private school but only at the beginning of their first semester as freshmen. After the first 3 or so weeks though they see no differences at all. Maybe it's because just the top public school graduates choose to attend these colleges, I dont know. I do know that several of the professors I have spoken to have switched from this particular private school to the public schools.

 

[DopeyDame]

not at all! Kids could still start at 4yo/5yo for K like they do here in the US. But the class has a 3-year span of kids in it. Maybe some kids go 1/2 day, some go full day at that young age.

The room would be set up so the kids who want to read, great. The kids who want to tinker with the computer, great. The kids who want to stack the blocks, great. As the kids age, the teachers introduce more concepts, they maybe have to complete a certain number of tasks a week (but not even every day), and kids can also do it the way they want. You could do math on the computer, with a worksheet, or with hands-on materials. Reading, you could sit w/ a regular book, or you could read on a tablet or computer.

As a homeschooler (my kids have also been to school), we use many different ways to learn, which suits each of my kids perfectly. When we learned the states, my dd loved to write and draw, so I printed out a blank map and a list of the states, she wrote each state a few times then colored in each state on the map after she wrote it. That assignment would have been pure torture for my ds, so I had him point to our wall map w/ a pool stick when I called out the states names. He LOVED this game and asked to play it all the time. Spelling will come later for him. But my dd loves spelling, so she did it earlier.

I'd really love to see a huge change in our schooling system (I'm also not against school, my kids went from preK to 4th/2nd and dd13 just tried public school for 8th grade - came back home to homeschooling though after 2 months). If either of my kids wanted to try regular schooling again, I'd be fine with it.

In thinking about my own life/school career, and those around me, school helped some of us, not all. Not 50%. School should be more about people excelling in their natural talents. Learning the basics of course, but not concentrating heavily on every basic when the talent and desire are just not there.

My brother is a published author. He writes for a living. He was a straight C student. He did no homework during his entire school career. He didn't attend college. He always knew he loved to write, and my mom remembers (and saved) a poem he wrote in K, because she was so surprised at how wonderful it was. My brother says he was always happy when there was an essay on a test, because he knew he'd ace that part, even if he didn't know the material very well. He'd bomb the fill in the blank part, the multiple choice part, but do very well on the written part. In 13 years of school, no one ever noticed his talent for writing or encouraged it. He's a successful writer not because of school, but in spite of it. He was always in the lowest class, not because of his actual ability or intellect, but because he didn't find it worthwhile to do the work. He also tells me he couldn't pick a preposition out of a sentence, and he probably never diagramed a sentence in his life.

We're failing kids by expecting them to all be the same, and trying soooo hard to make them all the same.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Instead of drilling it in a kids head how much they stink at something, how about focusing on their strengths? It's hard for many kids to even find their strengths and talents in our system. They all know their weaknesses though.

Your first two paragraphs are a near perfect description of a Mobtessori classroom -3 year age ranges, kids moving at different paces and following their interests. If you have one near you, you should check it out.

 

[a1tinkfans]

teaching to tests is nothing new...at least nothing I havent seen in our schools..
And heaven forbid your child/student is actually at the top of the learning curve..they are disadvantaged at the get go... way more opportunities for those that are at the other end of the spectrum, requiring Xtra help..the entire educational system needs a HUGE overhaul...