Still same problems, issues, answers. Has anything changed in the last five years?

Not as specific (have shown a real front to back assessment) as I would have liked.

I love it!!!!! Throw those tests away and let's start alternative assessment!!! I love the idea!!!

As a colleague once pointed out in relation to NYSED attitudes about testing... "You don't make a pig fatter by weighing it." The ridiculous standardized testing is a quick fix tool of politicians and bureaucrats who would like to pretend they are doing something to save education. This rigorous testing has done nothing to increase creative problem solvers and real thinkers among our students.

Every teacher teaches a body of knowledge and follows with a way to measure whether the students have learned the knowledge the teacher has taught. All or most all would agree.

Standards must be maintained. Standardized test are necesary to find whether the nation as a whole are living up to those standards. These tests should be used on a limited basis. I would agree that it appears that our schools are using too many standardized test and too often.

Absolutely agree! Too many standarized tests; too much time teaching to them. Its merely a checklist of what needs to be taught and then memorized.
So many teachers have great energy and ideas for implementing a performance based education system. Everyone will thrive...students of all abilities, teachers and parents will have perspective and involvement as will the community local and global as well.

Now only are we spending more time than we should teaching to the test, now we're asked to download and analyze the test results! That takes time, too.

While I think that project based learning is the way to go, I wonder if our teachers are prepared to go along? Many veteran teachers are not familiar with this type of assessment. Are new teachers prepared to teach and assess this way?

At last, something that make sense. I applaud you for making this video. I have spent the past 5 years working with students in preparation for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT. It is my opinion that these tests measure test-wiseness skills, how well you can take the test. Beyond that, the predictive value is poor. The power is in testing performance - to show if you can solve a problem and also display your knowledge of how you got there. This process provides instructional feedback for both student and educational improvement.

Applause! After teaching 20-plus years, I have witnessed and experience personally, the positive transformation in student and teacher success, when educators acknowledge and prepare for the standardized tests through the use of high quality, engaging Authentic Assessment Activites that address the state's standard course of study learning goals. The 'scores' on tests speak for themselves!

I think this is great, except with 25-30 students in a middle school classroom, I'm not sure how you could implement this kind of education in a traditional public school setting. I think one would need a much smaller student to teacher ratio for this to actually work in a public setting. In the ideal world, this is great!