Because for too long, too many were left behind. I am aware of a teacher in FCPS (since retired) who used to put the ESOL kids in the back of the classroom and just teach to the ones that knew English. Had I known this lady personally, I would have reported her. The majority of teachers teach, but this is a great way to weed out those who do not.

Also, I don't use SOLs, I use a similar well-known standard exam, though. I am all in favor of testing. FWIW, I am very creative in my teaching style. I have many students who wait until my classes are open to take class with me. I teach to the test, to some degree, but in a very, very creative way.

Having said this, I know that students in k12 who have tough backgrounds do not perform well on SOLs, and it is unfair to hold teachers accountable. If we really want to ensure no child is left behind, we need to talk about the current family structure in some communities. There is research that supports a 2-parent household is ideal - regardless of economic background.

I don't understand how your post is useful. You knew one teacher who put ESOL students in the back of the room. Then you say that testing is a great way to weed out these kinds of teachers. How many have been weeded out through the tests? Yet in your third paragraph you say that those from "tough backgrounds" should not be included in holding teachers accountable. So, how do you decide which kids are "from tough backgrounds"? Then you admit that being from a 2-parent household might be more important than the testing. So are you for or against all the testing? What does it accomplish?

You also say that many students wait to take classes with you. You sound like a college professor. I don't think you understand the K-12 process at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers and principals here don't like the test because it makes them accountable. The tests are needed.

Looks like someone with Pearson stock has found DCUM.

+100
Pearson is the worst thing I've seen in years. Truly awful.

ECART is worse. At least the SOL software has a audio component. ECART does not.

Huh? You're comparing a practice SOL to a global company that has a monopoly on standardized testing.

What? The real SOLs have an audio component to enable a child who is blind or dyslexic to take the test on his own. The ECART do not have any audio component and add on audio technology is incompatible with the software- so a child that needs tests read to him has to have an adult sit with him and read every single question. Every time they have an ECART- which is several times a week in MS and HS at times and is homework often. I find it infuriating that the tool FCPS has hired to help teachers make tests-practice and actual- does not have a usable audio component. Major fail on IDEA.

Northrup Grumman profits from the eCART test engine, Horizon. As much as I hate Pearson, at least Test Nav has useable tools and an easily readable screen. Horizon is a useability nightmare. Try to teach a bunch of third graders how to open a separate eindoe, resize the window, and toggle between windows just so you can highlight in a reading passage. Then when you click to the next question all of your highlighting disappears.

What's worst about quarterly eCART required division assessments is not the software though (and they do have audio for those), it's how poorly written they are. We keep giving meds tests with countywide pass rates in the 30s and 40s. Is that an accurate assessment when pass rates in our school for SOLs are in the high 80s/low 90s? So, half of our kids are being unnecessarily tortured and experiencing failure even when they actually have mastered he standards. All this wasted instructional time, all this unnecessary failure.

Because for too long, too many were left behind. I am aware of a teacher in FCPS (since retired) who used to put the ESOL kids in the back of the classroom and just teach to the ones that knew English. Had I known this lady personally, I would have reported her. The majority of teachers teach, but this is a great way to weed out those who do not.

Also, I don't use SOLs, I use a similar well-known standard exam, though. I am all in favor of testing. FWIW, I am very creative in my teaching style. I have many students who wait until my classes are open to take class with me. I teach to the test, to some degree, but in a very, very creative way.

Having said this, I know that students in k12 who have tough backgrounds do not perform well on SOLs, and it is unfair to hold teachers accountable. If we really want to ensure no child is left behind, we need to talk about the current family structure in some communities. There is research that supports a 2-parent household is ideal - regardless of economic background.

I teach in a non k12 environment and believe SOLs are an excellent way to ensure no child is left behind.

A non K12 environment? Then, I imagine you are not using the SOLs.
Why do you think it is an excellent way to ensure no child is left behind? Plenty are still being left behind.

I fully support SOLs. I teach in a non k12 environment and believe SOLs are an excellent way to ensure no child is left behind.

If we parents exversise with our kids everyday, get them outside everyday, remind them that life is full of challenges,it will make sitting quietly for an hour a non issue. As I said prior post, my DS was one of those impacted, and he said he didn't mind. The more we patents bitch and moan about nuances in life, the more we set up our children to fail in life. Deal.

It's not the sitting quietly for an hour. It is the imbecilic idea of paying a publishing company beaucoup dollars for something that does not work. It is the idea that having kids pass a standardized tests is a good judge of educational instruction. That's the problem.

It is having to sit quietly for an hour after months of practice tests, etc.

The kids have been told over and over just how important it is to be prepared for these tests--and then the system fails. Too bad the developers weren't prepared.

Anonymous wrote:If we parents exversise with our kids everyday, get them outside everyday, remind them that life is full of challenges,it will make sitting quietly for an hour a non issue. As I said prior post, my DS was one of those impacted, and he said he didn't mind. The more we patents bitch and moan about nuances in life, the more we set up our children to fail in life. Deal.

Yes, that's right. Sit straight and look at the chalkboard mentality. Umm, Virginia's testing policy was fair game to discuss, I understand, this last time our VA Assembly was in session.

If we parents exversise with our kids everyday, get them outside everyday, remind them that life is full of challenges,it will make sitting quietly for an hour a non issue. As I said prior post, my DS was one of those impacted, and he said he didn't mind. The more we patents bitch and moan about nuances in life, the more we set up our children to fail in life. Deal.

John Oliver recently commented on this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6lyURyVz7k

I love him!

DD was one of the MS kids that this happened to yesterday. She was irritated by it and missed more class than she should have because of it.

So stupid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers and principals here don't like the test because it makes them accountable. The tests are needed.

Looks like someone with Pearson stock has found DCUM.

+100
Pearson is the worst thing I've seen in years. Truly awful.

ECART is worse. At least the SOL software has a audio component. ECART does not.

Huh? You're comparing a practice SOL to a global company that has a monopoly on standardized testing.

What? The real SOLs have an audio component to enable a child who is blind or dyslexic to take the test on his own. The ECART do not have any audio component and add on audio technology is incompatible with the software- so a child that needs tests read to him has to have an adult sit with him and read every single question. Every time they have an ECART- which is several times a week in MS and HS at times and is homework often. I find it infuriating that the tool FCPS has hired to help teachers make tests-practice and actual- does not have a usable audio component. Major fail on IDEA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers and principals here don't like the test because it makes them accountable. The tests are needed.

Looks like someone with Pearson stock has found DCUM.

+100
Pearson is the worst thing I've seen in years. Truly awful.

ECART is worse. At least the SOL software has a audio component. ECART does not.

Huh? You're comparing a practice SOL to a global company that has a monopoly on standardized testing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers and principals here don't like the test because it makes them accountable. The tests are needed.

Looks like someone with Pearson stock has found DCUM.

+100
Pearson is the worst thing I've seen in years. Truly awful.

ECART is worse. At least the SOL software has a audio component. ECART does not.

Anonymous wrote:The teachers and principals here don't like the test because it makes them accountable. The tests are needed.


That's part of it. I don't want to be held accountable for the scores from a test that is poorly written. I don't want my teaching to be judged by a single test that crashed while the students were taking it which they finished only after sitting like bored hostages for a hour waiting for the computer to work.

Maybe you should read the other thread about how kids are losing their recess time so as not to disturb test-takers. Is this the kind of accountability you want?

Anonymous wrote:The teachers and principals here don't like the test because it makes them accountable. The tests are needed.

That's part of it. I don't want to be held accountable for the scores from a test that is poorly written. I don't want my teaching to be judged by a single test that crashed while the students were taking it which they finished only after sitting like bored hostages for a hour waiting for the computer to work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers and principals here don't like the test because it makes them accountable. The tests are needed.

Looks like someone with Pearson stock has found DCUM.

+100
Pearson is the worst thing I've seen in years. Truly awful.