I don't see any mention of WHY or HOW these tests are racist. Paige Levin! Say something useful, idiot!
This year, LA Unified School District will hold students back a grade (retention) in the 2nd and 8th grades if they don't pass certain "standards." By 2001 and 2002, LAUSD will hold students back in all grades based substantially on the Stanford 9 standardized test and others (given in English). Why should we oppose this?
High-Stakes Testing and Retention are Class-Biased and Racist
1. Low-income students, who have fewer resources at their schools, aren't given an equal chance on these tests. Retention policies tied to test results, therefore, are class- and racially-discriminatory because poverty mostly affects immigrants and communities of color. For example, LA County schools are hyper-segregated and schools in communities of color are 12 times more likely to lack basic materials than schools in white communities. These schools are 6 times as likely to have less experienced teachers.
2. When given only in English, tests measure national origin more than mastery of school material. When tests are language-biased, otherwise competent students are punished for not speaking English fluently.
3. The tests are culturally-biased as mostly middle-income, white test-makers produce tests that measure the knowledge and experiences valued by middle-income whites. They ignore the knowledge and experiences valued by other cultures.
4. Schools in low-income communities of color in particular, where test pressure is highest, focus on destructive "Back to Basics" lessons and testing drills. They also "track" students. "Back to Basics" does not have high learning standards. Wealthy schools more often do rigorous, project-based learning.
5. Low-income students are retained twice as often as high-income children. Students of color are retained in large numbers. Retention contributes to the high dropout rate among African-Americans and Latinos, as compared to whites. The gap between white students and students of color is widened, not narrowed.
High-Stakes Testing and Retention Hurt Learning, Students, and Teachers
1. Standardized tests do not measure creativity, problem-solving abilities, ethical thinking, and many other things central to learning. They mostly measure what is crammed into students' short-term memories.
2. Positive jumps in test scores are often due to narrow test coaching rather than real learning.
3. Most students like school less when their classes and time are focused on standardized tests.
4. Retention contributes to academic failure rather than to success in school. A single grade retention increases the chances that a student will drop out by 50%. A second retention increases the risk by 90%.
5. Retention blames poor performance on children, not on the school district. Rather than transform schools, retention policies make students repeat an experience that failed them before.
6. Testing hype puts negative pressure on teachers and stifles their creativity.
7. Ongoing tutoring without retention should be greatly expanded for students with academic needs. The focus on retention ensures that only narrow, pressure-filled tutoring programs will exist.
TESTING AND RETENTION PUNISH MOSTLY LOW-INCOME STUDENTS OF COLOR FOR THE FAILURES OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. GET INVOLVED IN CEJ.
Contact Alex Caputo-Pearl caputoprl@aol.com