Starr calls for 3 yr moratorium on standardized testing

[Anonymous]

YES!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/12/10/moco-schools-chief-calls-for-three-year-moratorium-on-standardized-testing/?wprss=rss_answer-sheet

[Anonymous]

I support this and think that the standardized tests are just a distraction to actual teaching and learning. They stress out the teachers and the students. However, I wonder if Starr is trying to do this to avoid seeing any measurable data of the undesirable affects of curriculum 2.0 and ending acceleration.

[Anonymous]

I think he had these ideas before coming here. He seems to believe they harm education. His heart seems to be in the right place.

[Anonymous]

If they harm education what is the rationale for only a "3 year ban"? He needs a" 3-yr ban" now to whitewash over the incompetent roll out of curriculum 2.0 (+ elimination of math pathways) destined to yield poorer performances from MCPS students over the next 3 years. Perhaps after a 3-year reprieve, he will gladly go back to standardized testing with the assumption the curriculum 2.0 kinks are smoothed out. Fat chance.

[Anonymous]

He sounds a politician instead of an educator.

He only wants common core Standard without standardized tests. That is the same as having products with a standardized design but without QA at the end. Here, the products are students.

How can American tolerate such absurdity? LOL

[Anonymous]

I'm so over him. Too bad he's young, he'll be here until long after my kids are out of the school system.

[Anonymous]

We all want a moratorium on standardized tests, HGC and magnet school entry tests, in light of the botched roll out of curriculum 2.0, the elimination of math pathways and means for capable students to get appropriate enrichment and acceleration in MCPS. If the superintendent gets a moratorium can the students get one of those? If the superintendent and teachers get a moratorium on evaluation and assessment how about the same for the students in the system?

[Anonymous]

Herein lays the real reason for Starr now advocating a "3-year moratorium on standardized testing" for MCPS students as the fox anticipates scores will also drop in our County shortly:

From EDUCATION WEEK
December 18, 2012


http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/11/02/11standards.h32.html


Scores Drop on Ky.'s Common Core-Aligned Tests By Andrew Ujifusa


Results from new state tests in Kentucky—the first in the nation explicitly tied to the Common Core State Standards—show that the share of students scoring “proficient” or better in reading and math dropped by roughly a third or more in both elementary and middle school the first year the tests were given.

Kentucky in 2010 was the first state to adopt the common core in English/language arts and mathematics, and the assessment results released last week for the 2011-12 school year are being closely watched by school officials and policymakers nationwide for what they may reveal about how the common standards may affect student achievement in coming years. So far, 46 states have adopted the English/language arts common standards; 45 states have done so in math.

Two federally funded consortia are working on assessments based on the common standards, and those tests are not slated to be fully ready for schools until 2014-15. But Kentucky’s tests are generally understood to be linked...

[Anonymous]

Wait...previously everyone complained about too much testing, having teachers teach to the test, etc. But now that Starr has called for a 3 year moratorium, people are complaining about that?

You do realize that if Starr called for the continuation of testing, you would complain about that, right? Seriously, this guy can't win no matter what he does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Herein lays the real reason for Starr now advocating a "3-year moratorium on standardized testing" for MCPS students as the fox anticipates scores will also drop in our County shortly:

From EDUCATION WEEK
December 18, 2012


http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/11/02/11standards.h32.html


Scores Drop on Ky.'s Common Core-Aligned Tests By Andrew Ujifusa


Results from new state tests in Kentucky—the first in the nation explicitly tied to the Common Core State Standards—show that the share of students scoring “proficient” or better in reading and math dropped by roughly a third or more in both elementary and middle school the first year the tests were given.

Kentucky in 2010 was the first state to adopt the common core in English/language arts and mathematics, and the assessment results released last week for the 2011-12 school year are being closely watched by school officials and policymakers nationwide for what they may reveal about how the common standards may affect student achievement in coming years. So far, 46 states have adopted the English/language arts common standards; 45 states have done so in math.

Two federally funded consortia are working on assessments based on the common standards, and those tests are not slated to be fully ready for schools until 2014-15. But Kentucky’s tests are generally understood to be linked...

It makes sense that scores would drop. The old tests (MSA at least) are ridiculously easy. The new tests are harder, and have higher expectations for showing proficiency. It actually goes along with the general idea of 2.0 - the bar for proficiency is higher. Sure, proficiency may be a low bar for high achieving students, but low achieving to average students are actually being given higher expectations. Higher achieving students won't be impacted regardless of the standardized test. Those 50 percent or more in MCPS who have been scoring advanced or higher on the MSA were scoring that high, in part, because the test is too damned easy. PARCC (the new test) will be harder.

[Anonymous]

The issue has nothing to do with "testing"? Higher order critical thinking, rather than 'concrete' reflex, suggests other self-serving motives are at play.

[Anonymous]

It makes sense that scores would drop. The old tests (MSA at least) are ridiculously easy. The new tests are harder, and have higher expectations for showing proficiency. It actually goes along with the general idea of 2.0 - the bar for proficiency is higher. Sure, proficiency may be a low bar for high achieving students, but low achieving to average students are actually being given higher expectations. Higher achieving students won't be impacted regardless of the standardized test. Those 50 percent or more in MCPS who have been scoring advanced or higher on the MSA were scoring that high, in part, because the test is too damned easy. PARCC (the new test) will be harder.

On the other hand, another untested but plausible outcome might have student scores plummeting under both tests (new and old) supporting a different view of curriculum 2.0. There is no control or comparator group thus the jury remains out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait...previously everyone complained about too much testing, having teachers teach to the test, etc. But now that Starr has called for a 3 year moratorium, people are complaining about that?

You do realize that if Starr called for the continuation of testing, you would complain about that, right? Seriously, this guy can't win no matter what he does.

So true.

[Anonymous]

If standardized test are really bogus as the SUPERintendent claims then why eliminate pathways for math advancement and subject acceleration in MCPS? Since children learn at different rates why pigeon hole (force) everyone in the same classroom like the very standardized tests used to evaluate these kids.

If the SUPERintendent is a true believer of "real" education why would he intellectually shackle advanced students in the same classroom waiting for others to catch up ... if at all? Let them free to create to their limits without standardised tests or forced to mercifully watch others count to 100 for 3 years.

The SUPERintendent cannot have it both ways or play both sides of the fence. That's hypocrisy. There are other motives behind why a 3-year moratorium on standardized tests would be both timely and SUPER for all in Montgomery County, now.

[Anonymous]

Wait...previously everyone complained about too much testing, having teachers teach to the test, etc. But now that Starr has called for a 3 year moratorium, people are complaining about that?

You do realize that if Starr called for the continuation of testing, you would complain about that, right? Seriously, this guy can't win no matter what he does.

So true.

Some guys can't win no matter what they do (e.g., Romney, Ryan, and the Governor of Texas)? Why?

1. Eliminate old curriculum.
2. Roll out new curriculum 2.0
3. Teachers can't teach new curriculum 2.0 (both teacher and student require to be taught the curriculum 2.0)
4. Teachers have no tools to assess students under curriculum 2.0
5. Students are in abeyance without evaluations or assessments
6. Ban subject advancement and acceleration
7. Eliminate math pathways
6. Students in Grades to 1 to 3 in a lurch and many forced to repeat last year's subject material
7. Elimnate old student grading system
8. Roll out new student grading system
9. Teachers, students and parents don't understand new student grading system
10. Use surplus funds in the system to give relatively well paid teachers raises (x2) in an economic envoronment of major cuts across the board (including students)
11. As a ground swell rises in MCPS of stagnant progress in the education of the children/students ...
12. Rolls out a new recommendation: 3-year moratorium on standardized testing in the County
13. Why test the students, teachers or the Superintendent to understand how well they are all doing their jobs. After all that not what education is about.

Yes, indeed. Some guys can't win no matter what they do. That's why they get booted out at the end of the day.