I would say that there has been a major deterioration in education since the implementation of NCLB.

The people who keep crying about "high stakes" only seem to care or complain when it comes to teachers being affected, which indicates to me they didn't give a shit about the high stakes involved where it came to students being affected. Ultimately what we should be caring about is whether students are reaching a level of proficiency or if we are failing them.

Anonymous wrote:The people who keep crying about "high stakes" only seem to care or complain when it comes to teachers being affected, which indicates to me they didn't give a shit about the high stakes involved where it came to students being affected. Ultimately what we should be caring about is whether students are reaching a level of proficiency or if we are failing them.

Anonymous wrote:

When I was growing up, teachers kept their exams and answer keys under lock and key. You didn't see the exam until the day it was given. And if an upperclassman were to try and share the test he took the year prior, that was heavily frowned upon. They were always treated as proprietary information with consequences if they were improperly shared so that others could get an unfair advantage. This really isn't that much different from how tests have been handled for decades.

Well, thankfully, times have changed since you grew up.

If a test has to be kept under lock and key, there's something wrong with the standards and curriculum. A teacher who is teaching the same thing to different students every year is not a good teacher. Using the same test year after year means that the teacher is not adjusting or changing as new information and ways of assessing are entering the field.

Your post sounds like you are talking about college in any case.

The most important tests that students take are not the PARCC (despite all the hoopla). The most important tests are ones that follow teaching that is at the student's level. Those are the tests that measure true learning that is meaningful to the individual child.

The people who keep crying about "high stakes" only seem to care or complain when it comes to teachers being affected, which indicates to me they didn't give a shit about the high stakes involved where it came to students being affected. Ultimately what we should be caring about is whether students are reaching a level of proficiency or if we are failing them.

Anonymous wrote:

There's a difference between a company releasing test questions and answers after an administration window has closed, and someone else sharing that info while the window is still open. I don't know if the SAT and PSAT send out the answers, but they certainly don't do while people are still taking the same version of the test. With time zones, there are people who start the SAT 23 hours before other people. There have been cases where people have used this time to create and sell pencils will all the answers written on them to people on the other side of the world. I would consider this cheating.

If the tests are not high stakes, you won't have these problems. We are talking about a test (PARCC) that is for grades 3-8 (not college entrance). The stakes are high because it measures schools (NCLB) and possibly teacher evaluations. If you take those things away, there is no incentive to cheat.

There's a difference between a company releasing test questions and answers after an administration window has closed, and someone else sharing that info while the window is still open. I don't know if the SAT and PSAT send out the answers, but they certainly don't do while people are still taking the same version of the test. With time zones, there are people who start the SAT 23 hours before other people. There have been cases where people have used this time to create and sell pencils will all the answers written on them to people on the other side of the world. I would consider this cheating.

There's a difference between a company releasing test questions and answers after an administration window has closed, and someone else sharing that info while the window is still open. I don't know if the SAT and PSAT send out the answers, but they certainly don't do while people are still taking the same version of the test. With time zones, there are people who start the SAT 23 hours before other people. There have been cases where people have used this time to create and sell pencils will all the answers written on them to people on the other side of the world. I would consider this cheating.

Anonymous wrote:

I don't actually think it's legal, the way in which Pearson is trying to keep the proprietary nature of the exams and curriculum so closed. Parents and students have a right under the federal law, FERPA, to see all tests, including the specific answers recorded, the test questions, the test administration protocol and any data generated with a personalized student ID attached. You also have a right to ask questions, i.e. discuss it with appropriate teachers and staff.

If your child takes the PARCC and you want to see his answers and the questions, you should write a FERPA letter. I don't think the school can deny access.

This is very interesting. I'm pretty sure my son got his SAT score back with the questions and answers so that he could look to see what he missed and what the correct answers were. It was online I think. I can't recall, but I think he got the same thing for his PSAT. Does anyone else remember this?

When I was growing up, teachers kept their exams and answer keys under lock and key. You didn't see the exam until the day it was given. And if an upperclassman were to try and share the test he took the year prior, that was heavily frowned upon. They were always treated as proprietary information with consequences if they were improperly shared so that others could get an unfair advantage. This really isn't that much different from how tests have been handled for decades.

When I was growing up, teachers kept their exams and answer keys under lock and key. You didn't see the exam until the day it was given. And if an upperclassman were to try and share the test he took the year prior, that was heavily frowned upon. They were always treated as proprietary information with consequences if they were improperly shared so that others could get an unfair advantage. This really isn't that much different from how tests have been handled for decades.