Submitted by Folwell Dunbar (not verified) on April 3, 2008 - 09:54.
Here in my home state of Louisiana, LEAP and ITBS are the standard for standardized testing in K-12 education. The tests cover the BIG three traditional R’s, “cultural literacy” in core subject areas, and, supposedly, critical thinking. They consist of reams of “multiple guess” questions and a handful of written responses. What’s interesting about LEAP and Iowa is not what they test, but rather what they don’t. When was the last time you went into a job interview and were asked to fill in bubbles using a number 2 pencil? Have you ever tried to make a sale by writing a short essay on an arbitrary prompt? In a brainstorming session, have you ever been limited to only one of four ideas. For some strange reason, the folks in Des Moines and Princeton (not to mention the State Department) don’t feel that listening, speaking, and creativity are worthy enough for the new accountability. In today’s changing economy, an ability to listen attentively, think out of the box, and speak “like, you know, good” are more important than ever. Unfortunately, as teachers scramble to prepare their students for the end all and be all Test, these invaluable but untested skills are being passed over.
Missed accountability
Submitted by Folwell Dunbar (not verified) on April 3, 2008 - 09:54.
Here in my home state of Louisiana, LEAP and ITBS are the standard for standardized testing in K-12 education. The tests cover the BIG three traditional R’s, “cultural literacy” in core subject areas, and, supposedly, critical thinking. They consist of reams of “multiple guess” questions and a handful of written responses. What’s interesting about LEAP and Iowa is not what they test, but rather what they don’t. When was the last time you went into a job interview and were asked to fill in bubbles using a number 2 pencil? Have you ever tried to make a sale by writing a short essay on an arbitrary prompt? In a brainstorming session, have you ever been limited to only one of four ideas. For some strange reason, the folks in Des Moines and Princeton (not to mention the State Department) don’t feel that listening, speaking, and creativity are worthy enough for the new accountability. In today’s changing economy, an ability to listen attentively, think out of the box, and speak “like, you know, good” are more important than ever. Unfortunately, as teachers scramble to prepare their students for the end all and be all Test, these invaluable but untested skills are being passed over.