The Ledger summarizes the switch that the State Dept. of Education is taking to move Mississippi kids to taking a national test. This would give us a better indication how we are doing against other kids in the US. State Super. Hank Bounds said much the same to the Starkville Rotary Club this week.
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Speak Your Mind
Harder tests will only show that the tests were harder. As a culture, we hold ONLY schools accountable for student success. Parents should be held accountable too.
In the bigger picture, I don’t want standardized testing the way it is done today. In researching what could be done to throw out the current standardized tests, I found an organization – National Center for Fair and Open Testing.
http://www.fairtest.org/
http://www.alfiekohn.org/stdtest.htm#null
Anyone interested in this?
While I agree with the notion that parents should be held accountable for student success, it is naive to believe that all of the children in Mississippi’s public education system are fortunate enough or WILL be fortunate enough to have a fundamental basis for primary education at home. As we are designated the “poorest” state in the United States, there are simply limited economic resources in both government allocation of funds for public education and household income, leaving many students (especially in the Delta and urban Jackson) to fend for themselves (with the exception of noble educators and administrators at both the district and state level who choose to give extra time and consideration) when it comes to student achievement.
It is my belief that “raising the bar” by using a national comparison via standardized testing will produce results that indicate higher student achievement in the long run. And if it doesn’t, at least we know on a larger scale where we must direct attention- whether that be the state education budget, teacher pay, the implementation of assistance programs, or to create a more comprehensive picture of administration at the district level.
Please keep in mind that I am not an expert- I’m simply a product of both Mississippi private AND public schools, and I’m disappointed in the level of emphasis we place on Mississippi’s student achievement. Don’t we realize that all other aspects of our lives rely on a strong foundation in education?
Furthermore, I’m NOT for the complete assimilation of Mississippi schools to standardized testing-based curriculum. It’s important to remember that students have a variety of talents, interests, abilities, disabilities, and needs. One student’s success from testing can be comparable to another’s success in practical vocational application. The answer, however, to quote an old professor, “is usually somewhere in the middle,” and that’s where we need to look for solutions on the state level.
(Kolivieri- I found the links very resourceful and full of valuable information. Thank you for sharing.)