"Teacher of the Year" quits over Common Core tests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Testing companies like Pearson aren't stupid - they run the results through sophisticated software for psychometric analysis and can determine from the responses if there are questions that are ambiguous where there is no right answer, or where there is more than one right answer. Similarly they can determine a lot of other things, such as logical distractors, whether cheating has occurred and so on.

Most of the comments being posted seem to have a profound naivete about testing.

http://stopcommoncoreinmichigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/11043432_1061574247193274_2832553389583072850_o.jpg

This is from the Smarter Balance test people for the state test being used in Michigan.

I double checked on the Michigan practice site; and this is absolutely on the practice test.

I defy anyone to tell me what the answers to these "question" are.

Prepare to go down in flames, Common Core supporters!!!

[Anonymous]

Testing companies like Pearson aren't stupid - they run the results through sophisticated software for psychometric analysis and can determine from the responses if there are questions that are ambiguous where there is no right answer, or where there is more than one right answer. Similarly they can determine a lot of other things, such as logical distractors, whether cheating has occurred and so on.

If they did this--and I think that is a big assumption--they have a problem with their software.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Testing companies like Pearson aren't stupid - they run the results through sophisticated software for psychometric analysis and can determine from the responses if there are questions that are ambiguous where there is no right answer, or where there is more than one right answer. Similarly they can determine a lot of other things, such as logical distractors, whether cheating has occurred and so on.

Most of the comments being posted seem to have a profound naivete about testing.

http://stopcommoncoreinmichigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/11043432_1061574247193274_2832553389583072850_o.jpg

This is from the Smarter Balance test people for the state test being used in Michigan.

I double checked on the Michigan practice site; and this is absolutely on the practice test.
I defy anyone to tell me what the answers to these "question" are.

Prepare to go down in flames, Common Core supporters!!!

How did you double-check this?

Also, in what way does a bad question on a Smarter Balanced test mean that the Common Core standards are bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Testing companies like Pearson aren't stupid - they run the results through sophisticated software for psychometric analysis and can determine from the responses if there are questions that are ambiguous where there is no right answer, or where there is more than one right answer. Similarly they can determine a lot of other things, such as logical distractors, whether cheating has occurred and so on.

Most of the comments being posted seem to have a profound naivete about testing.

http://stopcommoncoreinmichigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/11043432_1061574247193274_2832553389583072850_o.jpg

This is from the Smarter Balance test people for the state test being used in Michigan.

I double checked on the Michigan practice site; and this is absolutely on the practice test.
I defy anyone to tell me what the answers to these "question" are.

Prepare to go down in flames, Common Core supporters!!!

How did you double-check this?

Also, in what way does a bad question on a Smarter Balanced test mean that the Common Core standards are bad?

I double checked it by going the state of Michigan Education site, logging in and going through the practice test.

And since the test is aligned to the standards, yes, it makes the standards a crock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I double checked it by going the state of Michigan Education site, logging in and going through the practice test.

And since the test is aligned to the standards, yes, it makes the standards a crock.

Well, I'll have to take your word for that.

But your argument about the Smarter Balanced test is kind of like saying that the Cliff Notes for Romeo and Juliet are bad, therefore Romeo and Juliet is bad. If every test aligned to the Common Core standards were bad, whereas other tests aligned to other standards are good, then you might have a point. But you haven't shown that.

[Anonymous]

Also, in what way does a bad question on a Smarter Balanced test mean that the Common Core standards are bad?

Actually, that is a factor that is considered when validating tests that go with instructional materials. ( I worked on test validation for tests that accompanied instructional materials for adults. ) When all the students missed a question, there are a number of possibilities for the problem. Obviously, a bad test question is one of them. However, sometimes it is not the reason. The evaluator cannot assume that it is just the question. Another consideration is that the standard is poorly written and not clear to the test developer. The material may not be appropriate for the student—i.e. he may not have the skills required for it. There could also be problems with the instructional materials. Lazy validators will just toss the question and not figure out the reason for the problem.

[Anonymous]

But your argument about the Smarter Balanced test is kind of like saying that the Cliff Notes for Romeo and Juliet are bad, therefore Romeo and Juliet is bad. If every test aligned to the Common Core standards were bad, whereas other tests aligned to other standards are good, then you might have a point. But you haven't shown that.

You know, you'd have a lot more credibility if you would admit that some of the standards are poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Testing companies like Pearson aren't stupid - they run the results through sophisticated software for psychometric analysis and can determine from the responses if there are questions that are ambiguous where there is no right answer, or where there is more than one right answer. Similarly they can determine a lot of other things, such as logical distractors, whether cheating has occurred and so on.

Most of the comments being posted seem to have a profound naivete about testing.

http://stopcommoncoreinmichigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/11043432_1061574247193274_2832553389583072850_o.jpg

This is from the Smarter Balance test people for the state test being used in Michigan.

I double checked on the Michigan practice site; and this is absolutely on the practice test.
I defy anyone to tell me what the answers to these "question" are.

Prepare to go down in flames, Common Core supporters!!!

How did you double-check this?

Also, in what way does a bad question on a Smarter Balanced test mean that the Common Core standards are bad?

I double checked it by going the state of Michigan Education site, logging in and going through the practice test.

And since the test is aligned to the standards, yes, it makes the standards a crock.

Again, the PPs doing all this complaining are demonstrating they have absolutely no clue how CBT testing item banks, validation and psychometric validation software actually work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But your argument about the Smarter Balanced test is kind of like saying that the Cliff Notes for Romeo and Juliet are bad, therefore Romeo and Juliet is bad. If every test aligned to the Common Core standards were bad, whereas other tests aligned to other standards are good, then you might have a point. But you haven't shown that.

You know, you'd have a lot more credibility if you would admit that some of the standards are poor.

OK. Post some. Maybe I will agree that they're poor standards!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also, in what way does a bad question on a Smarter Balanced test mean that the Common Core standards are bad?

Actually, that is a factor that is considered when validating tests that go with instructional materials. ( I worked on test validation for tests that accompanied instructional materials for adults. ) When all the students missed a question, there are a number of possibilities for the problem. Obviously, a bad test question is one of them. However, sometimes it is not the reason. The evaluator cannot assume that it is just the question. Another consideration is that the standard is poorly written and not clear to the test developer. The material may not be appropriate for the student—i.e. he may not have the skills required for it. There could also be problems with the instructional materials. Lazy validators will just toss the question and not figure out the reason for the problem.

As you say, there are many possibilities, only one of which is that the test developer doesn't understand the standard because the standard is poorly written. The "bad test question = Common Core standards are bad!!!" people are disregarding all of the other possibilities.

[Anonymous]

As you say, there are many possibilities, only one of which is that the test developer doesn't understand the standard because the standard is poorly written. The "bad test question = Common Core standards are bad!!!" people are disregarding all of the other possibilities.

And, repeatedly, you refuse to accept that there are standards that are poorly written. What color is your Kool-Aid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I double checked it by going the state of Michigan Education site, logging in and going through the practice test.

And since the test is aligned to the standards, yes, it makes the standards a crock.

Well, I'll have to take your word for that.

But your argument about the Smarter Balanced test is kind of like saying that the Cliff Notes for Romeo and Juliet are bad, therefore Romeo and Juliet is bad. If every test aligned to the Common Core standards were bad, whereas other tests aligned to other standards are good, then you might have a point. But you haven't shown that.

Nope, right here, if you are doubting:

http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-22709---,00.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As you say, there are many possibilities, only one of which is that the test developer doesn't understand the standard because the standard is poorly written. The "bad test question = Common Core standards are bad!!!" people are disregarding all of the other possibilities.

And, repeatedly, you refuse to accept that there are standards that are poorly written. What color is your Kool-Aid?

Could you provide some examples of standards that are poorly written, please?

[Anonymous]

But your argument about the Smarter Balanced test is kind of like saying that the Cliff Notes for Romeo and Juliet are bad, therefore Romeo and Juliet is bad. If every test aligned to the Common Core standards were bad, whereas other tests aligned to other standards are good, then you might have a point. But you haven't shown that.

I don't know how many of you remember the campaign debate between Dan Quayle (VP for Bush I) and Lloyd Benson (Democratic potential VP), but at one point Quayle alluded to how he was like John Kennedy. Benson replied, "I knew Jack Kennedy and you are no Jack Kennedy".

Well, I have studied "Romeo and Juliet" and the CC standards are no "Romeo and Juliet". Just saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As you say, there are many possibilities, only one of which is that the test developer doesn't understand the standard because the standard is poorly written. The "bad test question = Common Core standards are bad!!!" people are disregarding all of the other possibilities.

And, repeatedly, you refuse to accept that there are standards that are poorly written. What color is your Kool-Aid?

So everything should be trashed wholesale, just because 2 or 3 standards are "poorly written?" Hell, if 2 or 3 items poorly written out of a hundred were a reason for instantly shutting things down, we'd have no school textbooks, no graduate theses at universities, no FOX News, no CNN, no encyclopedias... um, pretty much we wouldn't have ANYTHING.