In chapter 3, it discussed the use of AYP. I agree that it is a ridiculous scheme. I feel like it is useless in helping the students that really do need the help. Also, it doesn’t count the progress of a student. It’s either pass or fail based on a passing score, and nothing else counts. It’s unfair that the NCLB is forcing students that aren’t fluent in English, to take these standardized tests in English and get penalized for it.
I mentioned it in the previous blog, but I feel like too much of these requirements to pass standardized tests are useless. I admit that standardized tests can be helpful if used at a minimum and if they used those results to actually do something to help the students. Instead, they are just testing and testing, and just penalizing the students that can’t keep up. I feel like schools are becoming so obsessed over standardized testing and putting so much weight on them. It seems like nothing else matters, and the quality of education is deteriorating. Students are too busy trying to master the skill of test-taking, that they are no longer learning the material for what it is. They are too busy memorizing loads of information that students no longer get to really understand what they are memorizing.
Also, in this chapter it mentioned how they are making more time for testing and children are reading less books. I feel like they are spending so much money on making tests and evaluating students, but they are not using that money to help the kids improve.
In Chapter 4, they discussed about how there is less and less public participation in schools. I don’t fully agree with how there should be more public involvement from our communities in schools. I feel like it is a bit dangerous to give the communities a lot of autonomy. I feel like it is better to trust crucial decisions on people that are specialized in the field. Even though the chapter calls these people “strangers”, I feel like for the most part, the government and president do have good intentions and direct participation from the community can cause chaos. But I agree that feedback from the public is a must.
Some questions to think about:
The book mentions how students that haven’t mastered the English language, are required to take the standardized tests. Do you feel like it is unfair if these students DID NOT have to take these tests? If these students were exempt from taking these tests, wouldn’t it be unfair for all the other students?
How do you personally decide which students are “well-educated”? Do you really consider the students that are able to do well on standardized testing but slacked off throughout high school, well educated?