N.C. Education Officials Throw Out Low Writing Scores, Say Test to Blame

Tampa Bay on line ^ | Jul 11, 2002 | Rebecca Miller, Associated Press Writer

[aculeus]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina threw out the disappointing results of a statewide writing test for schoolchildren Thursday, in part because the exam wasn't written clearly enough.

The 9-1 vote by the state Board of Education will ensure that teachers and schools are not penalized for the bad marks. The state has the authority to clean house at schools that get low ratings.

The test was given to more than 200,000 fourth-graders and seventh-graders.

Only 47 percent of fourth-graders passed the single-essay test, down from 69 percent the previous year; 63 percent of seventh-graders received passing scores, a decline of 10 percentage points.

The drop was attributed to poor wording of the essay question for the fourth-graders and an increase in the amount of time given to the youngsters.

Some education officials told the board that the question that asked pupils to "write about a time you had a great day at school" may have prompted them to write a list activities rather than an essay.

The extra time may have led them to add sentences to the end of their essays after they found they had remaining time, said Lou Fabrizio, head of testing for the state Department of Public Instruction.

[mgc1122]

Is this the educational equivalent of "cooking the books"?

[GovernmentShrinker]

This is just too transparent for words! The kids can't write a coherent essay on the topic "write about a time you had a great day at school", and the educrats blame it on the wording of the question and the availability of extra time?!?! Nobody considering the possibility that most of the kids can't recall ever having had a great day at their pathetic educrat-centric schools? Anybody think the educrat authors of this test question were desperate to hear themselves showered with compliments about the great days they were providing to kids?

Now I don't doubt for a minute that most of these kids simply can't write anything coherent about anything, since they clearly haven't been taught to do so at school (obviosuly nobody thought to tell them that "essay" doesn't mean "list"), but a few must have learned how from parents or other sources. We'd quickly find out how many by requesting an essay on the topic of "a time you had a rotten day at school" (and I'm sure the little writers would have no trouble at all figuring out what to do with all that extra time).

The people of North Carolina need to run these bozos out of their education system without delay.

[GovernmentShrinker]

obviosuly = obviously (not that any of the educrats would have caught that typo, but I'm writing for freepers here)

[dead]

I blame the pencils.

[irv]

Some education officials told the board that the question that asked pupils to "write about a time you had a great day at school" may have prompted them to write a list activities rather than an essay.

This would not be a problem if someone had taught them the meaning of the word essay.

Translation: The test isn't valid because the teachers are incredibly incompetent.

[Tarheel]

The people of North Carolina need to run these bozos out of their education system without delay.

Any parent who knows anything about education in NC sends their youngsters to private school or home schools. There are not many public schools in the Charlotte area that 'cut the mustard'.

The Tarheel

[Tai_Chung]

If the results are thrown out because of a poorly written test then those responsibile for approving the test should be fired.

The article lists the increased time available to take the test as one of the reasons for the poor results, but no time is given in the article. Would it have been too difficult to say it was an hour test or whatever the time limit is?

If this were an hour test, the school board wasted 200,000 hours of school children's time.

[Ides of March]

This would not be a problem if someone had taught them the meaning of the word essay. Translation: The test isn't valid because the teachers are incredibly incompetent.

From Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary:
essay - 3 a : an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view
essay question - an examination question that requires an answer in a sentence, paragraph, or short composition

I'm not sure I see your point about the meaning of "essay."

It appears this was a test of the ability of state education administrators to write a coherent question that elicited the desired type of response. They failed. The teachers did not see the question until the moment they gave the test to their students.

My understanding is that an answer that expounded upon a single point was scored high, while an essay that listed several points was scored low.

I suppose for most fourth-grade students a "great day" in school requires several pleasing events, not just one.

Beware.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Only 47 percent of fourth-graders passed the single-essay test, down from 69 percent the previous year; 63 percent of seventh-graders received passing scores, a decline of 10 percentage points.

Actually, declines that significant are way outside the norm and would lead me to believe that the tests were screwy. If the decline had been on the order of a few percent, I would be more inclined to balme the teachers.

[Sacajaweau]

Talked to a 17 year old from a very good family when I lived down south for a year. He was a nice, polite young man (as long as you agreed with him).

In discussing what he was learning in school, I discovered he was "learning" in high school what we had learned in grammar school in New York.

Go back to old fashion teaching (in both the north and south) which we know works. Throw the computers into the garbage until high school and let these young folks interact. That's a skill, too.

Sac

[Helix]

I believe you are correct. IMO, the scoring of such tests is also too subjective. For example, students should give details about their "great day". If a student gives three details of what happened during the day to make it "great", couldn't that be considered a list? Personally, I don't see how it would be possible to write a good essay of more than one paragraph on this subject without using such a list.

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[Free the USA]

They won't penalize the kids or schools but they now have a new very low baseline so that they can easily claim improvement over the next few years.

[Sub-Driver]

We need the Senate to investigate! Tom, Tom, hey Tom?

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

It may be.  OTOH, I have seen some test questions which make you wonder where the writers of these exams went to school.

One of my favorites is: "which weighs more - a pound of gold or a pound of lead?"  A trick question like that should never be on a test for a third grader.

[Carolina]

NC Ping!

[Constitution Day]

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[Constitution Day]

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