<p>I hope what they’re proposing doesn’t actually come to fruit…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/education/09testing.html?ex=1297141200&en=1dea0e19428d51d3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/education/09testing.html?ex=1297141200&en=1dea0e19428d51d3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss</a></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>:-(</p>
<p>This is absolutely vile! I am not surprized that one of the people supporting this is a head honcho at Kaplan…potentially lots of bucks in store for them. </p>
<p>This quote is a classic when it comes to subtle arm twisting:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The wonder of American higher education, what makes it different from most other countries, is its amazing diversity. This proposal would iron out those differences and go for “one size fits all”. I can not imagine many institutions accepting this without a fight. In fact, I can not ** ever ** imagine a school like U Chicago accepting such a proposal.</p>
<p>I think this proposal reflects a trend that is already happening. There is already more emphasis on evaluating effectiveness in higher education programs. Some standardized testing is already available; e.g., the GRE’s and other exams needed for acceptance into graduate schools. Much of the standardization that is occuring is less visible. Accrediting groups have become more aggressive in setting standards and developing standardized measures. It is not clear if some semi-mandatory testing would be useful to access the effectiveness of general liberal arts education. It is an idea that is probably worth looking at in more detail.</p>
<p>Before condemming this trend, it might be useful to consider some of the benefits. The vast majority of college students are not being educated at elite or even top 100 colleges and universities. Most are attending schoolx way down the rankings including community colleges. Some of this education is not very good with colleges cutting every possible corner. A good example is the use of adjunct faculty to provide most of the teaching. Adjunct faculty can be hired at a fraction of the cost of full time faculty and at many community colleges the faculty is almost entirely composed of adjuncts. The low pay and part time status and high turnover of the adjuncts may not lead to the best education. Better measures of the quality of education could benefit students.</p>
<p>It occurs to me that the schools that have high average SAT scores going in will most likely have students who test similarly well 1 or 2 or 4 years later. Is that a result of the coursework at their college? I don’t think SATs are testing the effectiveness of high schools now. I think they’re testing the student’s background/family/socio-economic status, and once we establish that why bother to test it again. </p>
<p>There are many ironies to this. Why is a Republican administration not willing to let the marketplace decide which diplomas are meaningful? Why is a president who was a mediocre student so intent on torturing everyone else? It reminds me of the belief that LBJ could shepherd civil rights legislation because he was one of the good ole boys.</p>
<p>As for adjuncts, I don’t have a lot of experience with it but the ones I know are stellar. Their lack of full employment has more to do with the economy and byzantine hiring practices of universities than to an inability to teach effectively. </p>
<p>And another thing … if I hear our leaders call again for more students to go into math and science, I’ll gag. The adjuncts I know are in the sciences. We have never fully employed the tech graduates we have, so I’d advise students to follow their bliss.</p>
<p>One more thing (for now) - we already have proficiency exams for the professions - pharmacists, lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, and in some or all states, teachers, etc. So what exactly would this new layer of examination cover? I smell a large no. 2 pencil.</p>
<p>I really hope this gets the axe. I agree that kids going in with good scores will be the same kids coming out with good scores. Colleges are not there to teach the basics, but to build on it with more specialized learning. My daughter is an archaeology major. So how would they evaluate her growth?<br>
Why can’t we put our eduational tax money where the NEED is!</p>
<pre><code>It also occurs to me that mandatory testing will help the government track our kids in terms of specialization and proficiency. I was wondering how they were going to find the kids that they want to recruit for the military who speak foreign languages and have advanced skills, medical training and so on if they do what the selective service claims will happen if a draft is instituted. According to their website, IF a draft is necessary, it will targeted to those with specialized training in the areas of need. A madatory college testing program would certainly help locate those with the desired skills and abilities.
</code></pre>
<p>My biggest objection is the enormous expense that we cannot afford. Lets put the money into helping our less advantaged students get into college by improving the intermmediate and high schools - paying teachers in poor areas to attract the best. Our higher educational system is one of the best in the world, while our secondary system needs much improvement.</p>
<p>I seriously can’t see students at top schools sitting and taking these tests. I would have looked seriously at schools outside the US if this was the case. From the article, it sounds like they want to test for things that should be learned in HIGH SCHOOL, so if you want to test it nationally, test it there.</p>
<p>Anyone who thinks this is a good idea should come to Texas and get a good look at the tail wagging the dog. God help us if TEA should even get a toe in the door on this one. </p>
<p>My son is four years older than my daughter. He graduated in 2004. When he was in school full AP was simply that. Accelerated curriculum. Now, it’s being affected by all of the TAKS testing, as are the poor kids. My daughter has dropped to partial AP because there simply weren’t enough hours in her day to do all of the homework. AP curriculum is routinely abandoned for field tests, prep work, practice tests, and then the actual tests. Then the kids are loaded up with AP homework in order to catch up. For a full week this month, the kids will practice TAKS writing promts in every class but athletics, PE, band and choir. ALL WEEK. My daughter will not get the math curriculum she sorely needs to take her math TAKS, which is what she is weakest in. It’s all about group scores. You will get it and perform because our jobs are on the line. Kids are routinely strong-armed to take the tests seriously because teachers are ordered to take grades on it - even the field tests which contain testing information the kids have never seen before. Creative teaching time has flown out the door. </p>
<p>My mantra is that my daughter only has 2 1/2 years of public school left. It keeps us going. If the colleges face the same fate, I shudder to think how many students already burned out from constant testing and pressure in elementary, middle and HS will opt out of college and a better life.</p>
<p>Look closely at Texas. Ask the hard questions. Talk to educators, and you will hear people who are leaving the profession because they have become test administrators and tutors instead of teachers. Ask how the TX law is writting concerning the reporting of drop outs and ascertain what the real rate is. It is so much higher than Dubya and state officials will admit to. Public schools in Texas are not the same place they were when my son was there, and it’s only been four years.</p>
<p>I totally agree. My daughter graduated in 2001 and my son in 2005 and there was a huge difference in their educations because of the TAAS, and then TAKS testing in Texas. When my son was in second grade, the school eliminated recess and cut way back on science, social studies, art and music so that they could take boring practice tests in Math and Reading several times a month. As a result, there was much less creativity in the classroom and most of the kids were bored a lot of the time. I really went out of my way to make sure that we subscribed to interesting children’s magazines, and gave him piano lessons as well as art and ceramic classes. He also participated in a number of sports over the years. I looked at private schools but he is very social and preferred to stay with his friends.</p>
<p>At the junior high level, both of my kids practiced writing prompts in every class, including physical education! The teachers were under extreme stress to produce high test results. Our elementary school missed getting Recognized Status one year because of the Math results of 2 students! All of the parents of my daughter’s classmates felt that our older children got a much more comprehensive education!</p>
<p>Overall, my daughter was exposed to a much more creative curriculum than my son due to the increased emphasis on standardized testing. It just continues to get worse every year so I’m relieved both of my children have graduated. Many of the teachers retire as soon as they are able to get their teacher pensions because they feel that teaching is no longer fun!</p>