Common Core's epic fail: Special Education

[Anonymous]

The losers in all this testing is the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before NCLB, we had standardized tests--but they were used differently. Why does it matter if we compare a school in Bethesda to one in Oklahoma?

Before NCLB, the public really had no systematic data about the schools. I don't think that's good either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before NCLB, we had standardized tests--but they were used differently. Why does it matter if we compare a school in Bethesda to one in Oklahoma?

Because parents shop around for the "best" schools, and the only thing they can look at are test scores. Why do you think there are so many websites that rank schools now a days - from schooldigger to USNWR. I bet most of the parents that hate CC also use those rankings/sites.

[Anonymous]

Before NCLB, the public really had no systematic data about the schools. I don't think that's good either.

Which is more important, the data or the kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Before NCLB, the public really had no systematic data about the schools. I don't think that's good either.

Which is more important, the data or the kids?

That's a false choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Before NCLB, the public really had no systematic data about the schools. I don't think that's good either.

Which is more important, the data or the kids?

Stupid question, it's like asking "which is more important, the medical research or the patients?" Presumably the purpose of the medical research is to improve things for the patients.

[Anonymous]

Because parents shop around for the "best" schools, and the only thing they can look at are test scores. Why do you think there are so many websites that rank schools now a days - from schooldigger to USNWR. I bet most of the parents that hate CC also use those rankings/sites.

Sadly, if you are using test scores as your criterion, you may be disappointed.

[Anonymous]

My kids were in elementary school when NCLB kicked in. Huge difference in teaching methods afterwards. It had a negative influence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because parents shop around for the "best" schools, and the only thing they can look at are test scores. Why do you think there are so many websites that rank schools now a days - from schooldigger to USNWR. I bet most of the parents that hate CC also use those rankings/sites.

Sadly, if you are using test scores as your criterion, you may be disappointed.

PP here. I agree. We didn't use just test scores as a criteria for choosing a neighborhood to buy our house. If we did, we'd have bought in the W cluster of MCPS, which we looked at, but decided against. We live in the RM cluster. But a lot of parents, especially in the DMV look at these types of websites.

I went on to schooldigger once because someone had mentioned it (on DCUM) and I had never heard of it. So I looked at it out of curiosity. On the lower left side of the main page, there is a ticker that shows % of web viewers by state. I've been on that site maybe 3x, and each time, MD is usually in the top 3.

[Anonymous]

That's a false choice.

Actually, no. You are assuming that the data reflects the actual achievement and that the tests are valid. That is a false assumption.

[Anonymous]

Also, it doesn't reflect the quality of the schools. It reflects the quality of the students. Sorry, but true. I taught in a poor neighborhood. Better teachers there than when I taught in the good neighborhood. Guess which school had better scores?

[Anonymous]

We had standardized testing when I was a kid WAAAY back in the 60s and 70s. But that testing was done to HELP us and our teachers. We got results in a timely matter and the results were broken down in a way that you could tell what subject areas you needed help in.

Common Core tests results are 1, 2, 3, 4. They tell the student and teacher NOTHING MEANINGFUL and come MONTHS AND MONTHS after the student has already moved on from the teachers and the grade level. They are only used to punish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That's a false choice.

Actually, no. You are assuming that the data reflects the actual achievement and that the tests are valid. That is a false assumption.

No, I'm saying that it's not a choice between the data and the kids.

Everybody knows that the test results are problematic. But problematic data is still more than no data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We had standardized testing when I was a kid WAAAY back in the 60s and 70s. But that testing was done to HELP us and our teachers. We got results in a timely matter and the results were broken down in a way that you could tell what subject areas you needed help in.

Common Core tests results are 1, 2, 3, 4. They tell the student and teacher NOTHING MEANINGFUL and come MONTHS AND MONTHS after the student has already moved on from the teachers and the grade level. They are only used to punish.

What are the "Common Core" test results? Perhaps you're referring to the test results from the tests mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, which Congress passed in 2001?

[Anonymous]

But problematic data is still more than no data.

Incorrect data has no value. Stressed out kids and teachers also have no value. Get rid of NCLB.