Who is refusing Common Core tests for 3rd-8th graders?

[sam_gordon]

You have to take priorities into account. The new testing is slated to be used, depending on where you live, as a graduation requirement, for placement into classes, and for teacher evaluation. Since these are happening now or in the near future, stopping that from happening is what people see as a more pressing issue at the moment. That doesn't mean that there isn't interest in finding a better solution, and it doesn't mean that there aren't people working towards that.

Well said. I think that's a big part of the testing backlash - the move towards almost scripted lesson plans, tailoring education to one particular learning style, and paying lip service to the ideas of everyone learning differently while demanding they all get the same classroom and testing experiences.

For the upteenth time though... a school/district/state deciding to tie test scores to graduation/advancement, or doing scripted lesson plans, and teach to the test is NOT the fault of the test. That's the part I don't get all the complaining about... "Teachers have to read a script", "If kids don't pass this test, they don't graduate", "Schools do nothing but teach to the test" are all issues with that individual situation. If you want to argue/complain these things are bad, you might get more support. Saying the test are bad, and when prompted for "why", can only say the above excuses doesn't hold water (IMO).

I'm not the poster you asked, but there have been some articles (I Googled and saw one on Huffington Post) that discuss how some colleges now recognize that homeschooled students can indeed be well-prepared for college. To open the application process to these students, many have eliminated the necessity of a school transcript, thus allowing homeschooled students the ability to apply. And, to be fair, many of those kids do have excellent academic skills.

Recognizing more kids are being home schooled and allowing them to apply (and accept) them into colleges doesn't mean colleges are "seeking out" those students (IMO).

 

[Happy Snowman]

For the upteenth time though... a school/district/state deciding to tie test scores to graduation/advancement, or doing scripted lesson plans, and teach to the test is NOT the fault of the test. That's the part I don't get all the complaining about... "Teachers have to read a script", "If kids don't pass this test, they don't graduate", "Schools do nothing but teach to the test" are all issues with that individual situation. If you want to argue/complain these things are bad, you might get more support. Saying the test are bad, and when prompted for "why", can only say the above excuses doesn't hold water (IMO).

Recognizing more kids are being home schooled and allowing them to apply (and accept) them into colleges doesn't mean colleges are "seeking out" those students (IMO).

I know some kids that got scholarships for schools to which they did not apply....none were home schooled and the schools that sent those scholarships were not accredited. I also agree that colleges are not seeking out homeschooled kids. In fact, the admissions requirements for most colleges for homeschooled kids are much more involved.

 

[Ceila]

For the upteenth time though... a school/district/state deciding to tie test scores to graduation/advancement, or doing scripted lesson plans, and teach to the test is NOT the fault of the test. That's the part I don't get all the complaining about... "Teachers have to read a script", "If kids don't pass this test, they don't graduate", "Schools do nothing but teach to the test" are all issues with that individual situation. If you want to argue/complain these things are bad, you might get more support. Saying the test are bad, and when prompted for "why", can only say the above excuses doesn't hold water (IMO).

There are many concerns I have with the PARCC test. You quoted me as I was commenting on only one aspect.

So, for the upteenth time, the test itself is very poorly designed and written. Having been involved in the field test past spring, working with classes as they went through tutorials and practice tests, and now that the actual test is in progress in my school, I can say without a doubt that it is a bad test. The directions to some questions are so confusing that even teachers are having to guess at what is to be done. One teacher was a scribe for a child who couldn't type (broke two fingers just before the test). She's a teacher who teaches math to several different grades and knows the curriculum inside and out. There were math questions that require skills not taught at that child's grade level, but at the grade above. I could go on and on.

Recognizing more kids are being home schooled and allowing them to apply (and accept) them into colleges doesn't mean colleges are "seeking out" those students (IMO).

Yes, that was my point.

 

[nugov2]

PARCC advertises on Craigslist for test scorers, no experience necessary -- just a 4 year degree in any area. Also, you are correct in that all the teachers and parents will receive is a score. We'll never see the questions the students missed because it's not cost effective for Pearson to rewrite the test each year. Therefore, older tests won't be released. So how does this improve education? It doesn't. These tests are happening to line the pockets of corporations like Pearson who in turn, give huge campaign contributions to elected officials who support them by enforcing their tests on their states' children. That is the story in my state. Just follow the money! This is one big reason why parents are opting out. The test serves as no benefit to the child and takes away weeks of learning due to schedule conflicts. This does not improve education one bit. The tests are designed to have most kids "fail" or perhaps pass by the third try which gives even more money to Pearson because now the states have to buy extra tests! The kids get three chances to pass.

As of yesterday, those opting out hit more than 10% at many elementary and middle schools here. The high school kids are protesting daily, but only two high schools have opt outs over 5%. All schools with opt outs over 5% will automatically drop one letter grade in the A-F school grading system. The tests count for HS juniors to graduate next year, but they won't even find out if they passed until October or November of their senior year. This is why the kids are so stressed. The tests also count towards 50% of teachers' evaluations. The next thing coming up here is that the state universities education programs are going to be rated based on their graduates (teachers) evaluations which is tied to the those teachers test scores (50%). The universities will lose state funding based on too many low evaluations from their graduates. So now the universities will be buying PARCC materials and using them to train their college of ed students.

The PARCC test is online, not paper/pencil unless a district can prove a technology hardship. The paper/pencil tests are not just there for the asking as a pp stated.

I do think the CL advertising is odd. Not the best place to get scorers, but as far as what they require for credentials that is typical of standardized test scorers and not specific to Pearson. We have never gotten the test and what questions kids have missed in the past for any of the standardized tests my kids have taken in the past or the other one they take in addition to Parcc now. Nor did they back when I taught. Sadly that has been the MO of testing companies in the past as well. Develop a test and develop the materials for schools. All the major companies do it as I already posted previous. It is a poor system.

The problem is opting out only hurts your school unless you can get every school in your state to have virtually all students opt out which isn't going to happen. Your schools will now lose funding tied to that magic number, so how does that make you feel? Accomplished? See I'd rather take the test and see how it plays out when the dust settles next fall and take it from there rather than just assume it will be disasterous. So you think Pearson is writing the tests so that most kids fail HS? As much as I don't think standardized testing is the answer, I don't buy into that conspiracy theory either. You're telling me that if lets say 90% of kids fail this test come the fall that it won't hit the fan and everyone will just say please pearson sell me your materials....not going to happen. The test will be scrapped or all states will just pull out.

Are you saying this test is tied to 50% of a teachers evaluation? I have never seen that stat anywhere. I have seen that the Governor of New York was proposing a 50% test 50% observation policy for their teachers, but that hasn't been passed and won't just be based on Parcc but all testing. That is a crap method of evaluation no doubt, but I will wait and see if something like that passes before stating it as a fact. If you have an article where that is the method currently in place I'd like to read it. Not a proposal, but actually in place. That is a sad for that state/district if that is the case.

Where do you see that colleges are teaching their students PARCC? Do you mean CC b/c that is not the same. I searched that and cannot find any college teaching their students based on parcc materials, but it would make sense they would be training them about CC as that is the adopted set of standards. If there is an article about PARCC in colleges I'd like to read it or are you confusing PARCC with Pearson?

Getting the paper and pencil version of the test is easier than you are making it out to be. A technology hardship is granted if you don't have enough computers or have a gap in students who know how to use it or any other factors that would make you believe the paper test is a better fit for your students. That seems pretty easy to me. I know you don't you don't like the test nor do I, but making everything into the worst case scenario isn't serving your purpose. You would have more support if it didn't seem like your posts like Jodifla are all worst case scenarios from doomsday blog websites.

 

[Happy Snowman]

PARCC advertises on Craigslist for test scorers, no experience necessary -- just a 4 year degree in any area. Also, you are correct in that all the teachers and parents will receive is a score. We'll never see the questions the students missed because it's not cost effective for Pearson to rewrite the test each year. Therefore, older tests won't be released. So how does this improve education? It doesn't. These tests are happening to line the pockets of corporations like Pearson who in turn, give huge campaign contributions to elected officials who support them by enforcing their tests on their states' children. That is the story in my state. Just follow the money! This is one big reason why parents are opting out. The test serves as no benefit to the child and takes away weeks of learning due to schedule conflicts. This does not improve education one bit. The tests are designed to have most kids "fail" or perhaps pass by the third try which gives even more money to Pearson because now the states have to buy extra tests! The kids get three chances to pass.

As of yesterday, those opting out hit more than 10% at many elementary and middle schools here. The high school kids are protesting daily, but only two high schools have opt outs over 5%. All schools with opt outs over 5% will automatically drop one letter grade in the A-F school grading system. The tests count for HS juniors to graduate next year, but they won't even find out if they passed until October or November of their senior year. This is why the kids are so stressed. The tests also count towards 50% of teachers' evaluations. The next thing coming up here is that the state universities education programs are going to be rated based on their graduates (teachers) evaluations which is tied to the those teachers test scores (50%). The universities will lose state funding based on too many low evaluations from their graduates. So now the universities will be buying PARCC materials and using them to train their college of ed students.

The PARCC test is online, not paper/pencil unless a district can prove a technology hardship. The paper/pencil tests are not just there for the asking as a pp stated.

So, you have an issue with college graduates knowing how to grade a test, a standardized test that would have a grading key? Just who do you want grading these tests? What 'experience" do they need to grade a standardized test? As for the Craigslist listing, a lot of companies advertise jobs on Craigslist??

 

[Ceila]

Getting the paper and pencil version of the test is easier than you are making it out to be. A technology hardship is granted if you don't have enough computers or have a gap in students who know how to use it or any other factors that would make you believe the paper test is a better fit for your students. That seems pretty easy to me. I know you don't you don't like the test nor do I, but making everything into the worst case scenario isn't serving your purpose. You would have more support if it didn't seem like your posts like Jodifla are all worst case scenarios from doomsday blog websites.

I've heard that the paper test is more expensive (sorry, don't have a source at the moment - will look for one). So a low-funded district that has just enough computers to make it work might have to go ahead and do with the computerized version and just hope for the best.

I agree that whatever change is needed can only come about if people are using facts, and not hysteria, to make their arguments.

 

[nugov2]

I've heard that the paper test is more expensive (sorry, don't have a source at the moment - will look for one). So a low-funded district that has just enough computers to make it work might have to go ahead and do with the computerized version and just hope for the best.

I agree that whatever change is needed can only come about if people are using facts, and not hysteria, to make their arguments.

It is more expensive(about $9 per student), but in our state it was in the testing budget to pay for paper so it is a state budget not a district budget issue from the way I understand it. I'm not 100% what plays into the decision at each district, but I do know many districts around here are using paper even though they have enough computers for their students to take the computer version b/c they feel their students don't have the skills yet to take the test. Making it out like Pearson is just blocking people b/c they want to is, like you said, trying to spread hysteria.

 

[jodifla]

Not the PARCC nor a "doomsday blog" , but more severe testing issues on the Common Core testing as reported by The Miami Herald in Florida:


Florida repeatedly warned about an untested test for students

When students from Key West to Pensacola tried to log on to the state’s new and supposedly improved tests for the first time last week, all the dire predictions of school leaders, teachers unions and parents came true.

"Catastrophic meltdown," was how the superintendent of Florida's largest school district, Miami-Dade’s Alberto Carvalho, characterized the rollout of the computerized tests.

...

School chiefs also said one year was not enough time to develop, vet and roll out the software and hardware needed for a critical statewide assessment. In a letter to the education commissioner, Bay County Superintendent William Husfelt wrote about a foretelling experience: A demonstration of the new testing portal at a August 2014 conference for district assessment coordinators was canceled because the system crashed.

“Those on the front line are PETRIFIED!” Husfelt wrote. “There is too much weighing on these assessments to do this incorrectly and with such recklessness.”

One by one last week, districts across the state aborted the testing. It took impossibly long for students to sign in, and others were booted off the system in the middle of writing essays.

For five days, Stewart assured school districts that bugs had been worked out and testing could continue.

“They’ve lost credibility. Parents are really, totally frustrated,” said Mindy Gould, advocacy chair for Miami-Dade County PTA.


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article12980819.html#storylink=cpy




Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article12980819.html#storylink=cpy

 

[jodifla]

Predictably, Florida fails rollout of new Common Core test
State education officials said 36 school districts reported glitches. Palm Beach County Schools halted the test and Broward considered doing the same.

Broward Schools Board member Nora Rupert called it a "nightmare."

The state says initial problems are fixed and that testing will resume. Let's hope that is true.


It might be funny if there wasn't so much at stake here. Florida uses standardized test results to determine teacher pay, student promotion and school grades.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion...tandardized-test-problems-20150303-story.html

 

[undertheradar]

Not the PARCC nor a "doomsday blog" , but more severe testing issues on the Common Core testing as reported by The Miami Herald in Florida:


Florida repeatedly warned about an untested test for students

When students from Key West to Pensacola tried to log on to the state’s new and supposedly improved tests for the first time last week, all the dire predictions of school leaders, teachers unions and parents came true.

"Catastrophic meltdown," was how the superintendent of Florida's largest school district, Miami-Dade’s Alberto Carvalho, characterized the rollout of the computerized tests.

...

School chiefs also said one year was not enough time to develop, vet and roll out the software and hardware needed for a critical statewide assessment. In a letter to the education commissioner, Bay County Superintendent William Husfelt wrote about a foretelling experience: A demonstration of the new testing portal at a August 2014 conference for district assessment coordinators was canceled because the system crashed.

“Those on the front line are PETRIFIED!” Husfelt wrote. “There is too much weighing on these assessments to do this incorrectly and with such recklessness.”

One by one last week, districts across the state aborted the testing. It took impossibly long for students to sign in, and others were booted off the system in the middle of writing essays.

For five days, Stewart assured school districts that bugs had been worked out and testing could continue.

“They’ve lost credibility. Parents are really, totally frustrated,” said Mindy Gould, advocacy chair for Miami-Dade County PTA.


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article12980819.html#storylink=cpy




Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article12980819.html#storylink=cpy

Oh no! Do you mean to imply overloaded servers, just like happens at Disney when new discount bookings are released?

 

[jodifla]

Oh no! Do you mean to imply overloaded servers, just like happens at Disney when new discount bookings are released?

You can try to trivialize this all you like. These are news stories of people's actual experiences. For many kids and teachers around the country, these tests come with incredibly high stakes. For the rest, it's a huge waste of time at best, for reasons other posters have mentioned. Teachers, students and parents get little useful information from these tests.

 

[IDoDis]

I do think the CL advertising is odd. Not the best place to get scorers, but as far as what they require for credentials that is typical of standardized test scorers and not specific to Pearson. We have never gotten the test and what questions kids have missed in the past for any of the standardized tests my kids have taken in the past or the other one they take in addition to Parcc now. Nor did they back when I taught. Sadly that has been the MO of testing companies in the past as well. Develop a test and develop the materials for schools. All the major companies do it as I already posted previous. It is a poor system.

The problem is opting out only hurts your school unless you can get every school in your state to have virtually all students opt out which isn't going to happen. Your schools will now lose funding tied to that magic number, so how does that make you feel? Accomplished? See I'd rather take the test and see how it plays out when the dust settles next fall and take it from there rather than just assume it will be disasterous. So you think Pearson is writing the tests so that most kids fail HS? As much as I don't think standardized testing is the answer, I don't buy into that conspiracy theory either. You're telling me that if lets say 90% of kids fail this test come the fall that it won't hit the fan and everyone will just say please pearson sell me your materials....not going to happen. The test will be scrapped or all states will just pull out.

Are you saying this test is tied to 50% of a teachers evaluation? I have never seen that stat anywhere. I have seen that the Governor of New York was proposing a 50% test 50% observation policy for their teachers, but that hasn't been passed and won't just be based on Parcc but all testing. That is a crap method of evaluation no doubt, but I will wait and see if something like that passes before stating it as a fact. If you have an article where that is the method currently in place I'd like to read it. Not a proposal, but actually in place. That is a sad for that state/district if that is the case.

Where do you see that colleges are teaching their students PARCC? Do you mean CC b/c that is not the same. I searched that and cannot find any college teaching their students based on parcc materials, but it would make sense they would be training them about CC as that is the adopted set of standards. If there is an article about PARCC in colleges I'd like to read it or are you confusing PARCC with Pearson?

Getting the paper and pencil version of the test is easier than you are making it out to be. A technology hardship is granted if you don't have enough computers or have a gap in students who know how to use it or any other factors that would make you believe the paper test is a better fit for your students. That seems pretty easy to me. I know you don't you don't like the test nor do I, but making everything into the worst case scenario isn't serving your purpose. You would have more support if it didn't seem like your posts like Jodifla are all worst case scenarios from doomsday blog websites.

In the past, schools have always received breakdowns on scores and test questions. I could pull up any student's scores and see which questions the student missed within each category. I could see what percent of my students missed a certain question. We had the data. Teachers can't do that with PARCC. Teachers are not even allowed to look at the questions while students are testing. Teachers here had to sign a gag order of sorts saying they would not talk negstively about the test to parents or they could lose their license.

Individual schools don't lose funding with opt outs. If a district has more than 5% opt out, that district "could risk" losing federal funding. Since the districts ARE giving the tests, I don't think they will lose funding. However, if a district decided not to give the test, then there would be a high risk of losing the funding because the district is making the choice vs parents opting their children out. This is what happened in the Chicago Public Schools last week. They decided not to give the test to 90% of their students, but then had to cave in at the last minute due to a threat of losing 1.38 billion dollars in funds.

Yes, standardized tests scores count 50% toward teacher evaluations here. Last year the evals were so messed up because teachers were being evaluated on kids they never taught and the state would not give us the data so that we could verify that we were being evaluated on the correct students. Teachers who taught other subjects that didn't yet have EOC's had test scores tied to their evals. Teachers who taught 1st grade had 2014 test scores tied to their evals when 1st graders never tested. We wrote form letters to the PED requesting our data and got back messages saying they could not give us the data on our own students due to FERPA guidelines. I have a copy of the letter I received if you'd like to see it. It's a joke.

http://www.abqjournal.com/412073/news/more-questions-on-evals-accuracy.html

Teachers who didn't teach Languauge Arts or Math or taught kindergarten-2nd grade (who don't take the tests) were supposed to be evaluated based on the school grade and on EOC's (End of Course exams written by the state -- another test teachers were not allowed to see). Also a VAM (Value Added Model) is used which means that three years of test scores are counted together using a statistical model that even scientists at Los Alamos National Labs couldn't decipher.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/ne...cle_0c2103fa-a7b9-538b-b401-e56317d6c310.html

So if my student Johnny scores proficient in math the year I have him, but scores below proficient the next year and the year after, or his scores don't continue to show an upward trend, that counts toward that 50% in my teacher evaluation -- even if the student did well the year I had him, but not as well for the next two years.

So, the PARCC scores will be counted in next year's spring evaluation combined with two years of scores from the old standards-based assessment, and this year's evaluation scores are based on 2012-2014 standards-based assessment test scores. The PARCC is a completely different test with a much higher level of difficulty, so scores will go down without a doubt. On a side-note, 10% of teacher evaluations are based on attendance. Teachers can't take a sick day without losing points. I lost a personal day last year because I was too afraid to use it. I have almost 900 hours of unused sick leave (from several years) and a week's worth of personal leave that I haven't used and can't accrue more until I use some days up. We don't get paid back for unused sick leave when we retire, either. Just to give you a perspective on what 900 hours means, teachers here get 65 hours of sick leave per school year. I have 6.5'months worth of unused sick days, but I don't use them because I'm dedicated to my students and now I'm penalized on my evaluation for every sick day I use. I am not stretching the truth or lying. I need all points I can get and therefore go to school when I'm sick. Luckily I don't get sick very often.

My students have learning disabilities. My student who suffered a brain bleed at birth, and my student with permanent brain damage because she was born with Feral Alcohol Syndrome and cocain in her system will have to take the PARCC if their parents don't opt them out. They are already 2 to 3 years behind their peers. How is sitting for this test going to improve their education? How is this test going to make me a better teacher for students with special needs? Kids with learning disabilities have to pass just like everyone else and sit for tests they have no chance of passing only to be told they can't graduate.

It is not easy to get paper/pencil tests. PARCC was designed to be an online test. School districts across the country had to jump through hoops and spend lots of money to get technology ready. Getting waivers is very difficult for schools who do have internet access.

As for the universities being evaluated, I never stated the uni's would be teaching PARCC as PARCC isn't a program. If you follow the money trail, the universities will be purchasing more teacher Pearson books to prep their students on how to teach and the teacher licensing exam is made by Pearson. Pearson has A LOT of money to throw into campaign funds for their supporters who in turn fill their pockets by buying their materials. You can read the article here about the universities being evaluated based on their graduates' teacher ratings during their first three years as a teacher

http://www.abqjournal.com/413787/news/states-colleges-of-education-to-be-evaluated-next-year.html

 

[IDoDis]

So, you have an issue with college graduates knowing how to grade a test, a standardized test that would have a grading key? Just who do you want grading these tests? What 'experience" do they need to grade a standardized test? As for the Craigslist listing, a lot of companies advertise jobs on Craigslist??

I tried to include this in my last post, but the message was too long.

Yes I have an issue with people scoring these tests who are not trained educators. These are not fill in the bubble scores. I doubt that Your grandpa who got his degree in journalism in 1965 would not be able to score the same way a college graduate with a degree in mathematics would score it. There are rubrics and very tight time constraints that the scorers are only allowed when scoring each test. Here is an example of a possible test answer for Algebra 2 from a sample test on the PARCC website. Note that the student could get the answer correct, but not get full points for the answer. Students have to explain and not just show work. Try typing numbers like this on a computer when you aren't used to it with the test being timed. I don't know about you, but when I had algebra I didn't have to answer test questions like this. In fact, I didn't have questions like this in college algebra where I had to write detailed explanations about my answers. I just had to show my work. For these tests to have such high stakes for both students and teachers right out of the gate with a new curriculum is wrong. I'm sure someone here will reply saying their DS/DD solved it using the correct verbage just fine. Realistically, the majority won't. My DD could've done this, but I am realistic. She was in the top 4% of her graduating class.



Student response includes each of the following 4 elements:

•  Valid assumptions made when determining the model
  
  
•  Describing a process of interpreting the given data set
  
  
•  Equations, or other valid models corresponding to the given description and
  
  stated assumptions
  
  
•  Calculating the number of weeks based on student assumptions
  
  Sample Student Response:
  
  The average wear on the tread thickness can be determined by calculating the mean of thickness of the heel and front‐ foot tread after one week of use. Using the mean decrease in thickness as the rate of change, a linear equation can be created with the initial thickness as the y‐ intercept. The assumptions made were that the tread will wear evenly and at a constant rate so that a linear equation could be used. I also assumed that the shoe will be unusable once 0 millimeter of tread remains.
  
  Heel: T = 5 – 0.2w; Front‐ foot: T = 4 – 0.13w; where T represents the tread thickness, in millimeters, after w weeks. The heel tread will be gone after 25 weeks. The front-foot tread will be gone after 30.77 weeks. Since the heel thread is shorter, the shoe will only last 25 weeks.
  
  Note: Different assumptions may be made including the tread being unusable once 1 millimeter of tread remains.
  
  
  3 Student response includes 3 of the 4 elements
  
  2 Student response includes 2 of the 4 elements
  
  1 Student response includes 1 of the 4 elements.
  
  0 Student response is incorrect or irrelevant.

 

[undertheradar]

I tried to include this in my last post, but the message was too long.

Yes I have an issue with people scoring these tests who are not trained educators. These are not fill in the bubble scores. I doubt that Your grandpa who got his degree in journalism in 1965 would not be able to score the same way a college graduate with a degree in mathematics would score it. There are rubrics and very tight time constraints that the scorers are only allowed when scoring each test. Here is an example of a possible test answer for Algebra 2 from a sample test on the PARCC website. Note that the student could get the answer correct, but not get full points for the answer. Students have to explain and not just show work. Try typing numbers like this on a computer when you aren't used to it with the test being timed. I don't know about you, but when I had algebra I didn't have to answer test questions like this. In fact, I didn't have questions like this in college algebra where I had to write detailed explanations about my answers. I just had to show my work. For these tests to have such high stakes for both students and teachers right out of the gate with a new curriculum is wrong. I'm sure someone here will reply saying their DS/DD solved it using the correct verbage just fine. Realistically, the majority won't. My DD could've done this, but I am realistic. She was in the top 4% of her graduating class.



Student response includes each of the following 4 elements:

•  Valid assumptions made when determining the model
  
  
•  Describing a process of interpreting the given data set
  
  
•  Equations, or other valid models corresponding to the given description and
  
  stated assumptions
  
  
•  Calculating the number of weeks based on student assumptions
  
  Sample Student Response:
  
  The average wear on the tread thickness can be determined by calculating the mean of thickness of the heel and front‐ foot tread after one week of use. Using the mean decrease in thickness as the rate of change, a linear equation can be created with the initial thickness as the y‐ intercept. The assumptions made were that the tread will wear evenly and at a constant rate so that a linear equation could be used. I also assumed that the shoe will be unusable once 0 millimeter of tread remains.
  
  Heel: T = 5 – 0.2w; Front‐ foot: T = 4 – 0.13w; where T represents the tread thickness, in millimeters, after w weeks. The heel tread will be gone after 25 weeks. The front-foot tread will be gone after 30.77 weeks. Since the heel thread is shorter, the shoe will only last 25 weeks.
  
  Note: Different assumptions may be made including the tread being unusable once 1 millimeter of tread remains.
  
  
  3 Student response includes 3 of the 4 elements
  
  2 Student response includes 2 of the 4 elements
  
  1 Student response includes 1 of the 4 elements.
  
  0 Student response is incorrect or irrelevant.

You don't support the ACT, SAT, or TOEFL, do you?

 

[undertheradar]

You can try to trivialize this all you like. These are news stories of people's actual experiences. For many kids and teachers around the country, these tests come with incredibly high stakes. For the rest, it's a huge waste of time at best, for reasons other posters have mentioned. Teachers, students and parents get little useful information from these tests.

Have you never tried to access a website, only to receive a message to try back later? Some of us have even experienced such a thing here on The Dis.

 

[ilovefh]

Have you never tried to access a website, only to receive a message to try back later? Some of us have even experienced such a thing here on The Dis.

I don't think the poster is saying that doesn't happen in other venues for other things. I think what they're saying is that these tests are tied to some very important things so therefore they should run efficiently. If 50% of my evaluation is tied to my student tests scores you can bet that I want them to take the test under optimal circumstances, not having the test shut down in the middle of their test. You can't compare it to logging into the DIS or even buying concert tickets. This test has implications on my job and my pay, it better work right. I don't know why that is so hard to understand.

Yes, standardized tests scores count 50% toward teacher evaluations here. Last year the evals were so messed up because teachers were being evaluated on kids they never taught and the state would not give us the data so that we could verify that we were being evaluated on the correct students. Teachers who taught other subjects that didn't yet have EOC's had test scores tied to their evals. Teachers who taught 1st grade had 2014 test scores tied to their evals when 1st graders never tested. We wrote form letters to the PED requesting our data and got back messages saying they could not give us the data on our own students due to FERPA guidelines. I have a copy of the letter I received if you'd like to see it. It's a joke.

I want to address this piece specifically. In FL your VAM is based on the students you taught during both FTE weeks, October and February. Last year, according to the DOE, my VAM was based on me teaching 201 students. In FL we have a class size max of 22, so there is no way that I could have had 201 students present for both FTE counts when I only teach 6 classes. In fact it should have been MUCH lower than the 132 max. We had a leadership issue that was fixed in January. When this happened my whole second period, 22 7th graders, was given to a new teacher. These kids were not present in my room for the 2nd FTE count and therefore should not count towards my VAM. My second period became an 8th grade class that was populated by students from my other classes and half from another teacher. Those 11 students were not present in my class during the first FTE count so therefore they should not count towards my VAM score. In addition some students in my 5th period were moved to the other 8th grade teacher (we had HORRIBLE scheduling issues). Those students were not on my second FTE count and therefore should not count towards my VAM. MY VAM should have been based on the less than 100 students that were present for both FTE counts, but it wasn't.

The state refuses to give any information out to me about it. If I know the number of students is not accurate how can I accept my VAM score as accurate?

As for the usefulness of these tests...For me, the teacher, they are useless! When I am given a number from 1-4 based on a years worth of curriculum, it is meaningless. I can't do anything with that data. If I were given a breakdown for each student then it would be useful, but a printout with all of my students who tested and their numerical score, useless.

 

[IDoDis]

You don't support the ACT, SAT, or TOEFL, do you?

I have no issues with the ACT and the SAT. I am not familiar enough with the TOEFL to comment on it. I will note that the testing times are 4 hours or less for these tests not counting add-on optional tests that some schools require.

I don't think the poster is saying that doesn't happen in other venues for other things. I think what they're saying is that these tests are tied to some very important things so therefore they should run efficiently. If 50% of my evaluation is tied to my student tests scores you can bet that I want them to take the test under optimal circumstances, not having the test shut down in the middle of their test. You can't compare it to logging into the DIS or even buying concert tickets. This test has implications on my job and my pay, it better work right. I don't know why that is so hard to understand.



I want to address this piece specifically. In FL your VAM is based on the students you taught during both FTE weeks, October and February. Last year, according to the DOE, my VAM was based on me teaching 201 students. In FL we have a class size max of 22, so there is no way that I could have had 201 students present for both FTE counts when I only teach 6 classes. In fact it should have been MUCH lower than the 132 max. We had a leadership issue that was fixed in January. When this happened my whole second period, 22 7th graders, was given to a new teacher. These kids were not present in my room for the 2nd FTE count and therefore should not count towards my VAM. My second period became an 8th grade class that was populated by students from my other classes and half from another teacher. Those 11 students were not present in my class during the first FTE count so therefore they should not count towards my VAM score. In addition some students in my 5th period were moved to the other 8th grade teacher (we had HORRIBLE scheduling issues). Those students were not on my second FTE count and therefore should not count towards my VAM. MY VAM should have been based on the less than 100 students that were present for both FTE counts, but it wasn't.

The state refuses to give any information out to me about it. If I know the number of students is not accurate how can I accept my VAM score as accurate?

As for the usefulness of these tests...For me, the teacher, they are useless! When I am given a number from 1-4 based on a years worth of curriculum, it is meaningless. I can't do anything with that data. If I were given a breakdown for each student then it would be useful, but a printout with all of my students who tested and their numerical score, useless.

You have to ask how fair it is to even be evaluated on a student who happened to be in your classroom on the day of the test. What if he just moved to your school a week before the test? The kids' scores are supposed to be based on proportion to the amount of time a student is enrolled in a given teacher’s course (as reported in the 40, 60, 120, and EOY snapshots), but the data is so messed up that we have no idea which students scores are actually tied to our evals and the state won't share the info with us, nor our school districts. My IPRA (Ispection of Public arecords Act) request for documents to the state came back to me saying saying they can't share the info because that violates FERPA.

ETA, that my state's Secretary of Ed came from Florida. After she did her damage there, she got hired here. It took 4 years for her to get confirmed here because she has never been an educator which is a requirement under the state constitution to be the Secretary of Education.

 

[nugov2]

Then NM is the only state I have seen with that qualification of 50% in place. I think it is because NM is so far behind education wise the leaders in that states knee jerk reaction is to all of a sudden try to scare teachers into doing more. Why is NM ranked as one of the bottom academically, but in the top 25th in spending? That is a scary stat. I don't think 50% of teacher evaluation being tied to a test is effective, but that isn't the tests fault, but a state that for some reason is failing miserably at educating their students. Obviously the decision makers are not doing anything smart to help the issue, but b/c I don't know much about that state and it's educators can't say what would help...but that state is in drastic need of an overhaul. Is NM a state that is mostly at poverty level is that what contributes to the lack of a proper education? It seems to me to be the same few states with the biggest issue, which tells me there are a few states in this country that are truly in an academic crisis.

As far as test results in past tests, there was not a list provided of what questions students got wrong, but a subject area. This report was not given to parents so again for us it is pretty similar.

Scorers have the same qualifications for SAT, ACT and PARCC. They also have the same pay range. That is nothing new for PARCC.

 

[undertheradar]

Then NM is the only state I have seen with that qualification of 50% in place. I think it is because NM is so far behind education wise the leaders in that states knee jerk reaction is to all of a sudden try to scare teachers into doing more. Why is NM ranked as one of the bottom academically, but in the top 25th in spending? That is a scary stat. I don't think 50% of teacher evaluation being tied to a test is effective, but that isn't the tests fault, but a state that for some reason is failing miserably at educating their students. Obviously the decision makers are not doing anything smart to help the issue, but b/c I don't know much about that state and it's educators can't say what would help...but that state is in drastic need of an overhaul. Is NM a state that is mostly at poverty level is that what contributes to the lack of a proper education? It seems to me to be the same few states with the biggest issue, which tells me there are a few states in this country that are truly in an academic crisis.

As far as test results in past tests, there was not a list provided of what questions students got wrong, but a subject area. This report was not given to parents so again for us it is pretty similar.

Scorers have the same qualifications for SAT, ACT and PARCC. They also have the same pay range. That is nothing new for PARCC.

This was my point about issues with the ACT, SAT, or TOEFL. All are scored by employees of the testing services, no education degree required. All of this attack on new testing, yet the same minimum requirements for scorers. More much ado about what they don't know.

 

[Ceila]

This was my point about issues with the ACT, SAT, or TOEFL. All are scored by employees of the testing services, no education degree required. All of this attack on new testing, yet the same minimum requirements for scorers. More much ado about what they don't know.

For many people, the uproar surrounding PARCC and similar exams has brought to light various standardized testing practices. Personally, I can't fault people for disagreeing with long-standing methods simply because they didn't know about them previously.