Comments on: Accountability: A New Approach from Broader, Bolder http://www.edwize.org/accountability-a-new-approach-from-broader-bolder Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:36:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Kris http://www.edwize.org/accountability-a-new-approach-from-broader-bolder/comment-page-1#comment-66572 Kris Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:31:43 +0000 http://www.edwize.org/?p=4854#comment-66572 I read this particular post with great interest. As a teacher, there is a strong push to make sure my students are prepared for a variety of tests throughout the school year. Test preparation is strongly emphasized at my school as well as the schools of many of my colleagues because we are rated as a school based on how well students perform on their state tests. I do wonder, however, if there is too much focus on state mandated tests. There seems to be a strong emphasis on the four “core” subjects (math, literacy, social studies, and science), which happen to be the subjects that are tested in the 8th grade in New York State, while other subjects are electives and not given the same attention as the core subjects. I agree with the point of view of the authors of “A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education”. It seems that accountability focuses on a student’s performance in school (and only in certain subject areas), but does not take into account what happens to students outside of school hours. The authors also argue that curriculum has been narrowed in response to high states tests in math and reading. Even published data seems to focus in on math and reading. Other authors on this blog have pointed this out as well. It is likely that if other subjects such as science or the arts were tested as well, then more attention would be paid to those subjects as well. I worry, though, if test-taking skills will be emphasized more than mastery of the subjects. Testing and accountability, in my mind, is something that will only become more emphasized in education in years to come. An “objective” test that is designed to measure a student’s ability is nothing new. The SAT has been one of the standards for college acceptance for years. (Even though many have argued that is a biased test and is not an indicator of academic achievement (see http://www.fairtest.org/facts/satfact.htm as a starting point)). I am not arguing that the state exams currently used to measure K-12 students are necessarily biased (that is another argument for another time). I simply want to point out that the United States has a strong history associated with measuring student outcomes in ways that are “objective” (ie. multiple choice tests) and produce data that can be analyzed using statistical methods (produces numeric data). As a society we rely on this data to tell us if we are doing a good job educating our students. Overall, I am not sure that short-term outcomes are the best measure of our ability to create individuals that are ready to become active members of society. In addition, the emphasis on “the test” seems to focus students onto only on subject at a time and narrows their view of their other subjects (I’m speaking from personal experience here). There must be more to education than just a test and I think that the authors of “A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education” are trying to get us to look at students as people, instead of outcomes. I read this particular post with great interest. As a teacher, there is a strong push to make sure my students are prepared for a variety of tests throughout the school year. Test preparation is strongly emphasized at my school as well as the schools of many of my colleagues because we are rated as a school based on how well students perform on their state tests. I do wonder, however, if there is too much focus on state mandated tests. There seems to be a strong emphasis on the four “core” subjects (math, literacy, social studies, and science), which happen to be the subjects that are tested in the 8th grade in New York State, while other subjects are electives and not given the same attention as the core subjects.

I agree with the point of view of the authors of “A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education”. It seems that accountability focuses on a student’s performance in school (and only in certain subject areas), but does not take into account what happens to students outside of school hours. The authors also argue that curriculum has been narrowed in response to high states tests in math and reading. Even published data seems to focus in on math and reading. Other authors on this blog have pointed this out as well. It is likely that if other subjects such as science or the arts were tested as well, then more attention would be paid to those subjects as well. I worry, though, if test-taking skills will be emphasized more than mastery of the subjects.

Testing and accountability, in my mind, is something that will only become more emphasized in education in years to come. An “objective” test that is designed to measure a student’s ability is nothing new. The SAT has been one of the standards for college acceptance for years. (Even though many have argued that is a biased test and is not an indicator of academic achievement (see http://www.fairtest.org/facts/satfact.htm as a starting point)). I am not arguing that the state exams currently used to measure K-12 students are necessarily biased (that is another argument for another time). I simply want to point out that the United States has a strong history associated with measuring student outcomes in ways that are “objective” (ie. multiple choice tests) and produce data that can be analyzed using statistical methods (produces numeric data). As a society we rely on this data to tell us if we are doing a good job educating our students.

Overall, I am not sure that short-term outcomes are the best measure of our ability to create individuals that are ready to become active members of society. In addition, the emphasis on “the test” seems to focus students onto only on subject at a time and narrows their view of their other subjects (I’m speaking from personal experience here). There must be more to education than just a test and I think that the authors of “A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education” are trying to get us to look at students as people, instead of outcomes.

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