Replies

The teachers tell me that the "gateway grades" spend the entire year preparing for these tests, and doing nothing else.

That would be because the previous grades did not teach stuff that would be tested.

I my (private) high school 40 years ago, we were given nationally standardized tests in every subject every semister. It did not affect our grades, but it affected the teacher's prospects for raises. A couple of teachers let standardized test scores above the 90th percentile substitute for the final exam. and why not?

we were given nationally standardized tests in every subject every semester.

Same here, in my suburban public school in NY. I don't understand why some people think tests have never existed in schools and should not exist now.

In my own experience as a teacher, I find that teachers, as a group, see themselves as lousy test-takers, and it is a skill they feel very uncomfortable teaching (how to take a test).

But, I tell students, "Guess what? You're going to be taking tests your whole life if you ever plan on driving a car, operating a boat, flying a plane, etc."

The entire matter gets blown out of proportion because most teachers themselves so loathe tests. I don't - but most do.

I my (private) high school 40 years ago, we were given nationally standardized tests in every subject every semister. It did not affect our grades, but it affected the teacher's prospects for raises.

They're doing that in NC public schools, as well. It takes away some of the intimidation factor of standardized tests, and it helps judge how well the students are learning the materials.

Standardized tests shouldn't be the end-all of education. When I was in high school, I scored the top scores regionally on a couple of standardized tests in Math and Biology. But it really wasn't my knowledge of these disciplines, it was my ability to decipher the tests. The answers to the questions were embedded in the tests, you just had to know how to discern them.

I think standardized testing is a way to pull up the effectiveness of mediocre teachers, but tends to limit the effectiveness of good teachers. Unfortunately, in many public schools in our nation, there are so many of the former that this solution becomes preferable.