Anonymous wrote:PS. According to late education researcher Gerald W. Bracey, PhD, qualities that state-mandated standardized tests cannot measure include

creativity
critical thinking
resilience
motivation
persistence
curiosity
endurance
reliability
enthusiasm
empathy
self-awareness
self-discipline
leadership
civic-mindedness
courage
compassion
resourcefulness
sense of beauty
sense of wonder
honesty
integrity

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would assume that most families that are trying to opt out are higher SES or have higher education parents than the majority of DCPS kids. and DCPS knows these are the kids most likely to score well on PARCC so its in DCPS' interest to make them test. I think its pointless becuase its not my kids job to bring up the test scores especially since DCPS doesn't care about higher achieving kids every other day o the year. Maybe DCPS should ask all the parents of 4th graders at Brent why they are leaving and not heading to a cap hill middle schoolr or jefferson? Maybe they should listen to parents when they ask for test in classes, not BS differentiation in the same class, or when parents ask for serious academic rigor. Maybe, just maybe, then those same parents will be around when you need to use their kid to bring up your test scores.

I'm a high SES, highly educated parent, and I WANT my child to take PARCC (and his whole school too) because A) I don't assume I know how my child is going to do and B) I want to be sure that the school is teaching everyone well, and that they address any gaps between genders, races, SES status, etc. DCPS cares about high SES students just as much as it cares about any other student, I believe. It's weird that people project so much of their parenting/financial anxieties about life in our increasingly income and race-stratified world onto DCPS.

+1. Well said. I think the anti-test sentiment expressed here is a little bizarre.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would assume that most families that are trying to opt out are higher SES or have higher education parents than the majority of DCPS kids. and DCPS knows these are the kids most likely to score well on PARCC so its in DCPS' interest to make them test. I think its pointless becuase its not my kids job to bring up the test scores especially since DCPS doesn't care about higher achieving kids every other day o the year. Maybe DCPS should ask all the parents of 4th graders at Brent why they are leaving and not heading to a cap hill middle schoolr or jefferson? Maybe they should listen to parents when they ask for test in classes, not BS differentiation in the same class, or when parents ask for serious academic rigor. Maybe, just maybe, then those same parents will be around when you need to use their kid to bring up your test scores.

I'm a high SES, highly educated parent, and I WANT my child to take PARCC (and his whole school too) because A) I don't assume I know how my child is going to do and B) I want to be sure that the school is teaching everyone well, and that they address any gaps between genders, races, SES status, etc. DCPS cares about high SES students just as much as it cares about any other student, I believe. It's weird that people project so much of their parenting/financial anxieties about life in our increasingly income and race-stratified world onto DCPS.

+1. Well said. I think the anti-test sentiment expressed here is a little bizarre.

Anonymous wrote:What's bizarre to me is the determination shown on threads relating to opting out of the DC-CAS, and now the PARCC, to motivate other parents to embrace one's views on mandatory standardized testing in public schools. I'm reminded of my grandparents' view on reproductive rights and gay unions, that of "good Catholics," when I was a kid. We're right, you're wrong; we're good, thoughtful, upstanding and civic-minded, those who disagree are strange, bad, shrill and obsessive. We deserve a voice, while you should shut up and do as we, and the federal and state governments, say. Ours is not to question why. The Pope, the cardinals, the bishops etc. know best of course.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would assume that most families that are trying to opt out are higher SES or have higher education parents than the majority of DCPS kids. and DCPS knows these are the kids most likely to score well on PARCC so its in DCPS' interest to make them test. I think its pointless becuase its not my kids job to bring up the test scores especially since DCPS doesn't care about higher achieving kids every other day o the year. Maybe DCPS should ask all the parents of 4th graders at Brent why they are leaving and not heading to a cap hill middle schoolr or jefferson? Maybe they should listen to parents when they ask for test in classes, not BS differentiation in the same class, or when parents ask for serious academic rigor. Maybe, just maybe, then those same parents will be around when you need to use their kid to bring up your test scores.

I'm a high SES, highly educated parent, and I WANT my child to take PARCC (and his whole school too) because A) I don't assume I know how my child is going to do and B) I want to be sure that the school is teaching everyone well, and that they address any gaps between genders, races, SES status, etc. DCPS cares about high SES students just as much as it cares about any other student, I believe. It's weird that people project so much of their parenting/financial anxieties about life in our increasingly income and race-stratified world onto DCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A veteran Dem staffer actually. Despite Ted Cruz.

Interesting. The Dems were the strongest backers on the Hill for this corporate testimony regime.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A veteran Dem staffer actually. Despite Ted Cruz.

Interesting. The Dems were the strongest backers on the Hill for this corporate testimony regime.

Anonymous wrote:A veteran Dem staffer actually. Despite Ted Cruz.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally speaking, I think it is a good idea to get kids used to taking standardized tests. They'll be doing it for much higher stakes later on: APs and SAT

That's akin to arguing that if a kid doesn't start taking practice driving tests in ES, they won't be reading for much higher stakes driving tests as teenagers. I was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist who earned 5s on APs, and near perfect SAT scores, yet never took a standardized test before the PSAT. I also attended public schools ranked in the bottom third in my state, in the days before state testing.

If you want your kid to get used to taking standardized tests in ES, you can. Just look up your nearest Prometric Test Center (one downtown, another in Bethesda) and sign up for tests. Many K-5th grade options available, e.g. the SCAT and ACT Junior.

Why on earth would I want to take my kid to Bethesda to pay for practice tests when he can do them in school for free? And how lovely for you that you did well on your SAT and APs without elementary testing. I also did extremely well on those tests in a state with standardized elementary tests (should we dig out our scores and talk about colllege admissions and IQs?). I found the whole testing experience in high school to be not particularly stressful since I had been doing the same thing every year. That is something I would be happy to share with my children.

Because you argued that kids in DC public elementary schools need to take high-stakes standardized tests as preparation to prepare for taking the SATs and APs tests in HS. I didn't buy the argument, pointing out that if you feel your kids need practice taking standardized tests in ES, you have private options in the Metro area. I will be happy to share a standardized test-free childhood with my own children, while using my IB DCPS.

Signed,
Princeton Graduate

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The entitlement of some DC parents it just astounding ... you ALL use PARCC as a metric to judge schools. And yet, your child is too good, too "free thinking," to take it.

I'd call it hypocrisy, but totally agree. It's galling.

Anonymous wrote:I would assume that most families that are trying to opt out are higher SES or have higher education parents than the majority of DCPS kids. and DCPS knows these are the kids most likely to score well on PARCC so its in DCPS' interest to make them test. I think its pointless becuase its not my kids job to bring up the test scores especially since DCPS doesn't care about higher achieving kids every other day o the year. Maybe DCPS should ask all the parents of 4th graders at Brent why they are leaving and not heading to a cap hill middle schoolr or jefferson? Maybe they should listen to parents when they ask for test in classes, not BS differentiation in the same class, or when parents ask for serious academic rigor. Maybe, just maybe, then those same parents will be around when you need to use their kid to bring up your test scores.