Why We Need To Improve Standardized Testing | ThinkProgress
According to a new report from the Center for American Progress on implementing the No Child Left Behind rewrite, or the Every Student Succeeds Act, states and schools could do much more to communicate with parents — and ensure that a child’s day at school doesn’t revolve around standardized testing. (Disclosure: ThinkProgress is an editorially independent site housed at the Center for American Progress.)
The Obama administration supports a move toward greater efficiency and quality of tests. The U.S. Department of Education, which has recommended that schools spend no more than 2 percent of classroom time taking tests, released official guidance on Tuesday providing more specifics on how federal funds can be used to improve testing. The guidance explains that states and districts should use federal money for professional development for teachers, to make sure tests and curricula are aligned, to audit assessments, and to facilitate better conversations with parents about why the tests are required.
From: Why We Need To Improve Standardized Testing | ThinkProgress
Why are the tests required?Report
To know if our children is learning.Report
Well done on that blast from the past! The good old days!Report
Why is measuring their mastery of a subject important, when the real question is whether they have a healthy level of self esteem?Report
Or whether they know that everything wrong in the world is Obama’s fault.Report
“The U.S. Department of Education, which has recommended that schools spend no more than 2 percent of classroom time taking tests,”
This makes sense, but I think many people will read this and think “so kids are only being asked to prove mastery of the material 2% of the time?” There are very few “tests” as I remember them from my schooling present in my classroom, but we do have many formative/summative assessments to measure where a student is with the specific curriculum at any one time.Report