State writing tests stump students
If you are wondering why this is happening, just take a look at the direct quotes found in this article. Every anti-intellectual excuse is employed:
“? Triangle educators wonder whether the state has set standards that often are too difficult for students and schools to meet. In fourth grade statewide, fewer than 2 percent of students earned a score greater than 16 points — which represents the top achievement rung, or Level IV. In seventh and 10th grades, fewer than 1 percent earned scores high enough to rank in Level IV.”
That’s right, let’s blame the test. It has nothing to do with the fact that most students cannot construct a coherent sentence, spell, or punctuate. Instead of looking failure in the eye and taking corrective steps, our schools scramble to point fingers in every direction but their own. This is great modeling for our future generation; never take responsibility for your mistakes if someone nearby can be blamed. It’s great fodder for our future trial lawyers.
“Even though about half of the state’s students scored below proficient levels, Fabrizio said thousands were within easy reach of passing the writing test. Tens of thousands of students are a couple of points shy of passing scores.”
Reward effort, not performance. Self-esteem is at stake here!
Of course, the result is that we graduate tens of thousands of inflated illiterates who know nothing but feel good about themselves.
As the saying goes?ignorance is bliss! Which leads us to our next quote?
“Diane Villwock, testing director for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system, said that she would struggle to respond to the prompt 10th-graders were asked to tackle.”
Maybe Diane shouldn’t be working as a school district administrator if she is challenged by a 10th grade test. Then again, this just highlights the fact that our best and brightest are leaving the profession.
Speaking of administration…
“My belief is that as teachers get a better handle on what they can do with students, we could be looking at a lot more of these students scoring proficient in the future,” Fabrizio said.”
My belief is that teachers could do a better job, if bureaucrats like Fabrizio at the DPI would get out of their way. I worked with intelligent and capable teachers that constantly had to compromise their beliefs to follow district or state mandates. Whole language, new math, open classrooms, noncompetitive grading, teachers as ‘facilitators’, and character education are just a few examples of “progressive” reforms forced on teachers. Who has time for the basics when you are constantly being retrained in the latest and greatest program?
Finally?
“In response to criticism, the state retooled the scoring of the test and changed the focus of the exam”
“Retooled” means you really won’t know the actual score or whether your child is proficient because the state will use creative math to report rosy results. Next year, we could have remarkable improvements!
Sadly, that’s all the public wants to hear.
