Reply to What does "teaching to the test" really mean?

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Reply to "What does "teaching to the test" really mean?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]All of the schools do it.  They start each unit with a PARCC-like diagnostic test and then base lessons on the so-called skills. The "curriculum" is system-wide.  Mandated reading selections, according to a pacing chart.  Teach these lessons, at this time, using these strategies.[/quote]

That's...a curriculum. Do you think MCPS or FCPS doesn't teach according to a curriculum? [/quote]

That’s not a well rounded curriculum.  Come on.  That’s teaching to the test.  Diagnostic test given and then lessons are from the test and skills learned based on the test.  How clearer can that be if not teaching to the test?

[/quote]

No I’m sorry, you are talking about something else.

You mentioned a “PARCC-like diagnostic test.” Except PARCC is not diagnostic.

None of this has anything to do with teaching to the test, because you aren’t even talking about PARCC testing. You’re talking about diagnostic assessments. They do those everywhere. Even in private schools.[/quote]

You don't know what you're talking about. PARRC-like in that they consist of reading selections followed by multiple-choice, fill-in, sequencing items and constructed responses. Since they are given at the beginning of a unit, they are diagnostic. [/quote]

But teaching to an internally-administered diagnostic test is not "teaching to the test". It means you use internal testing to assess levels and is simply part of your curriculum. It is not what is meant by "teaching to the test."

Usually when people level the "teaching to the test" criticism, what they mean is that a school is seeking to raise their overall scores on a test like PARCC (the scores for which are made publicly available and thus impact the school's public perception) but teaching kids how to excel on these tests without actually providing a well rounded education. It's usually coupled with criticism of such tests, because if it can be gamed in this way, it must not be a very useful test. You are talking about a total different thing.[/quote]

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