"Teacher of the Year" quits over Common Core tests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also, kindergarteners don't take NCLB tests

No. They have other tests now for K. Ones that go along with Common Core.

Of course the kindergarten readiness assessment goes along with the Common Core standards, since the curriculum is aligned with the Common Core standards. But is it required by the Common Core standards? No. Would it go away if the Common Core standards went away? No.

[Anonymous]

Of course the kindergarten readiness assessment goes along with the Common Core standards, since the curriculum is aligned with the Common Core standards. But is it required by the Common Core standards? No. Would it go away if the Common Core standards went away? No.

I would think that a test that is aligned with the CC standards would go away if the CC standards went away.

[Anonymous]

CC standards are not appropriate for Kindergarten. (See redshirt threads) Teachers may not give NCLB tests, but they are required to implement the standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Of course the kindergarten readiness assessment goes along with the Common Core standards, since the curriculum is aligned with the Common Core standards. But is it required by the Common Core standards? No. Would it go away if the Common Core standards went away? No.

I would think that a test that is aligned with the CC standards would go away if the CC standards went away.

Do you object to testing, or do you object to tests aligned with the Common Core standards because you object to the Common Core standards?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CC standards are not appropriate for Kindergarten. (See redshirt threads) Teachers may not give NCLB tests, but they are required to implement the standards.

And here we go again.

Could you please give some examples of the Common Core kindergarten standards that are not appropriate for kindergarten, and also please explain why they're not, and how you know that they're not?

Also, no, the redshirt threads are not relevant. Anecdotally from the redshirting threads, redshirting is most common in Virginia (which did not adopt the Common Core standards) and in private schools (which the Common Core standards do not apply to).

[Anonymous]

Do you object to testing, or do you object to tests aligned with the Common Core standards because you object to the Common Core standards?

Personally, I think that holding to strict standards and testing them in kindergarten is an "iffy" proposition at best.

I'm not against testing in general at various points in a child's education. Right now I think we are over testing, especially in the elementary grades. How much testing do we need? When does instruction and the fun part of school happen? Yes, learning should not be total drudgery for some and anxiety ridden terror for others with a test at the end (that is high stakes for either the school or the teacher).

[Anonymous]

Also, no, the redshirt threads are not relevant. Anecdotally from the redshirting threads, redshirting is most common in Virginia (which did not adopt the Common Core standards) and in private schools (which the Common Core standards do not apply to).

The Virginia standards have been aligned to CC, but are called Virginia.

[Anonymous]

I'm against CC and NCLB testing mostly because the NCLB testing (which is still in effect) has proved to have unintended consequences that are negative and CC makes it all worse by adding standards that are inappropriate and have not been thoroughly vetted. The outcome will be lower passing statistics for all schools (lots of failure) with no real "help". Everyone will again say, "look how bad the US schools are" when, in fact, they may be doing quite well given the task they have. Nobody is controlling for the inputs, yet the outputs are supposed to measure up to some "standard" that has been created by "the states". It feels like the Staypuff marshmallow ghost at the end of "Ghostbusters"---looking cute, but dangerous. And it's a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Do you object to testing, or do you object to tests aligned with the Common Core standards because you object to the Common Core standards?

In kindergarten, tests should be teacher made and be in bite sizes, maybe 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there---certainly not an hour long test! Most of the assessment should be done through play or play like situations or very short queries and kept in a portfolio type format. Anything standardized should wait until at least 3rd grade and then can measure standards for grades K-3. I don't see the point in having kids who develop differently at those ages take a standardized test. Check out how other industrialized countries do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also, no, the redshirt threads are not relevant. Anecdotally from the redshirting threads, redshirting is most common in Virginia (which did not adopt the Common Core standards) and in private schools (which the Common Core standards do not apply to).

The Virginia standards have been aligned to CC, but are called Virginia.

Virginia says that they did not adopt the Common Core standards. Are you saying that Virginia is wrong about this?

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/sol_ccss_comparison_english.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/mathematics/sol_ccss_comparison_mathematics.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do you object to testing, or do you object to tests aligned with the Common Core standards because you object to the Common Core standards?

In kindergarten, tests should be teacher made and be in bite sizes, maybe 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there---certainly not an hour long test! Most of the assessment should be done through play or play like situations or very short queries and kept in a portfolio type format. Anything standardized should wait until at least 3rd grade and then can measure standards for grades K-3. I don't see the point in having kids who develop differently at those ages take a standardized test. Check out how other industrialized countries do this.

OK, but what does that have to do with the Common Core standards? The Common Core standards don't say anything about testing formats, let alone testing formats in kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm against CC and NCLB testing mostly because the NCLB testing (which is still in effect) has proved to have unintended consequences that are negative and CC makes it all worse by adding standards that are inappropriate and have not been thoroughly vetted. The outcome will be lower passing statistics for all schools (lots of failure) with no real "help". Everyone will again say, "look how bad the US schools are" when, in fact, they may be doing quite well given the task they have. Nobody is controlling for the inputs, yet the outputs are supposed to measure up to some "standard" that has been created by "the states". It feels like the Staypuff marshmallow ghost at the end of "Ghostbusters"---looking cute, but dangerous. And it's a nightmare.

And again.

Which standards are inappropriate? What would constitute "thorough vetting"? Were the various state standards that the Common Core standards replaced appropriate and "thoroughly vetted"?

[Anonymous]

The Virginia standards have been aligned to CC, but are called Virginia.

LOL! The Virginia SOL standards for K are quite different from Common Core.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The standards ARE developmentally inappropriate. Do some goddamn research.

We have done the research, but have found nothing other than opinion pieces to support it. No specifics, no studies, no data, no criteria for evaluation, nothing. And likewise, despite asking you 489 times, you have not produced anything even remotely resembling actual research either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do you object to testing, or do you object to tests aligned with the Common Core standards because you object to the Common Core standards?

In kindergarten, tests should be teacher made and be in bite sizes, maybe 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there---certainly not an hour long test! Most of the assessment should be done through play or play like situations or very short queries and kept in a portfolio type format. Anything standardized should wait until at least 3rd grade and then can measure standards for grades K-3. I don't see the point in having kids who develop differently at those ages take a standardized test. Check out how other industrialized countries do this.

You actually just described the Maryland KRA (Kindergarten) test pretty accurately. Which is aligned to common core standards BTW.


https://maryland.kready.org/olms/2400