Reply to when schools focus on the wrong things (from a teacher)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Ummm, where to start? 
 I'm a first grade teacher. Here is a list of just some of the assessments my students take each year: 
 *Easy CBM math (yes computer), 3 x a year to all kids 1:1. Weekly progress monitoring 1:1 to any kid severely behind, bi-weekly to kids somewhat behind, monthly to everyone. 
 *Easy CBM reading (part computer, part person based) given 1:1 3x a year. a) phonics sounds, b) word segmentation c) word reading d) passage fluency. Weekly progress monitoring to any kid severely behind, bi-weekly to kids somewhat behind, monthly to everyone. 
 *Sight word testing on 136 words, 3x a year benchmark. Weekly progress monitoring to any kid severely behind, bi-weekly to kids somewhat behind, monthly to everyone. Given 1:1 
 * Fountas and Pinnell running records. An intensive reading test where we measure miscues, comprehension, a written response and fluency. It takes about 30-45 per kid and in my district teachers have to do this while the entire rest of the class is working independently. This happens 3x a year for everyone and then another 3-6x a year per kid based on need. Given 1:1 
 *writing opinion paragraph benchmarks, 3x a year. Plus monthly to assess progress for instruction. Given whole group 
 * math unit tests. About 8 times a year. Quizzes another 6-8 times a year. Given whole group 
 *Access testing for ESL students 1x a year. Given in small groups

This is less than teachers used to do. It is not more. Also most of those reading tests that take so long are being taken out of school districts in favor of scantron tests after teachers have been complaining - see they were effective. I doubt your school system will have that for much longer. Do you remember the basal reading books? Teachers would have to grade reading responses weekly for those. They don't have to do that anymore. It was like grading one of those Fountas Pinnell tests weekly.

8 times a year tests on math? Again, do you remember weekly math tests plus cumulative tests for each unit? I do.

I'm not sure what is involved with weekly progress monitoring, however teachers have been monitoring progress weekly for years. If that is done ineffectively, that is an issue, but it is the process of it, not the task itself.

Okay so obviously you are not a teacher.  F&P testing is the gold standard of reading assessments and will NEVER, EVER be replaced by "scantron" testing (which btw is obsolete)....what F&P offers and scantron type tests (again, is this 1980?) offer are completely different.  It is like the difference between a full MRI and a doctor simply looking in your ears.  Also, you simply cannot compare F&P to old basal reading tests.  First of all, basal reading tests were not effective and were a terribly poor measure of student learning.  Second, F&P's have to be given one kid at a time.  You have to do that during class time.  30-45 minutes per kid times 21 kids times 3 times a year minimum.....and then a similar running record done once a month in between.  Please, please, please.....you make yourself look ignorant when you talk about things you know nothing about beyond your own experience as a child.  I'm pulling 60 hour weeks here sweetheart, with a graduate degree and all kinds of leadership experience under my belt.  You are out of your league.

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