Standardized Testing

Standardized Testing

     

     Mrs O. obviously takes the time and effort to make sure that her teaching helps students meet the standards set. Last time I was there, they were working on reading two different versions of the same fable - "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"- which happens to be a Literacy standard I read about during this lesson. The standard asks students to compare and contrast different versions of the same story. Math standards are clearly addressed as well each time I have visited.

     I have always visited the classroom on Fridays, due to my work schedule. This has been somewhat of a hindrance in that I cannot observe what goes on during other days of the week. Science is not addressed on Fridays, but I do know it is taught on other days. The same can be said for the other subjects excluding Math and various literacy skills. The class works really hard on M-Th, then uses Friday for catching up, rewards, and some new skills in Literacy and Math.

    The cooperating teacher did not have a lot to say about standardized testing. My impression is, she is not a big fan, but didn't want to potentially offend someone by being brutally honest. She did say, that NCLB was first coming into effect in her first year of teaching, so its hard for her to say what the differences are between before, and now. She mentioned that each President has "their program" that you must learn to work within. She seemed frustrated with some aspects of standardized testing- namely that sometimes teachers feel like they are teaching to the test, and also that the testing - in her opinion- does not give an accurate representation of student skills. She feels that many, if not most, children perform far better in real life than they do on the tests. This can be due to various factors - boredom, lack of understanding why it matters, stress at home, tired, cranky.. etc etc..