Kindergarten teacher details ‘lunacy’ of standardized tests for kids

[proud2BlibKansan]

Have you ever given young children a standardized test?

Kindergartners are 4 to 5 years old and this is what happens: Some of them cry. Some get stomach aches. Many of them, all of a sudden when instructions are being explained, have to go to the bathroom or get a tissue. Some draw all over the paper. They talk. They shout out answers, as they have been taught to care for one another and help one another.

Race to the Top put us on the data bandwagon and Education Secretary Arne Duncan has now called for more “formative assessments.” Even though Michigan did not win Race to the Top money, we are nevertheless answering the call for data for data, data, and more data, for children in kindergarten.

I am spending so much time recording “formative” assessments that I don’t have time to evaluate the meaningful assessments and plan for instruction, much less time to actually teach!

I now have to give a total of more than 27,000 check marks or grades for my class of 25 students per year. This is not counting the stars, stickers or smiley faces I put on their work each day.

more . . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/kindergarten-teacher-details-lunacy-of-standardized-tests-for-kids/2011/07/24/gIQApZjNXI_blog.html

[Brigid]

1. I have a nephew who is six now.

How on earth do you even give a kid that age or younger a standardized test??

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. It's not a bubble sheet standardized test

The article explains it pretty well. Most of the testing is recording what the kids know - what letters, letter sounds, numbers, etc.

The standardization is in the norms. Each kid gets a standardized score where what they know is compared to peers who are the exact same age.

[enlightenment]

4. Isn't that what teachers - and schools - have done for, well, ever?

Developing a record of what children know - letters, sounds, numbers, etc.

Comparing that records against an understood standard of what a five or six year old should - rationally - know at that age?

I recall getting report cards for my kid - those reports indicated whether my kid was performing above average/average/below average (needs improvement). I seem to recall having report cards like that myself. The fact that they had an average - a mean of some kind - by which to measure, indicates that there was some sort of standard applied to that grading.

What is so different about these tests - except that they have apparently become the be all and end all of educational assessment?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Kinda sorta but not really

The difference is the amount of testing. As the article says, to meet the mandate this teacher needs to be monitoring progress constantly all day long. When is she going to teach?

The other thing parents should be really concerned about is the dramatic change in kindergarten in the last 15 years or so. No naps. No snack. Only one recess and these babies are in school all day long. Kindergarten is more like 1st grade these days. Much more focus on academics and less on playing, making friends, and art projects. We're turning kids into little academic monsters before they are ready. It's sad.

[Pisces]

11. Yes, and if you also notice most of the kids entering kindergarden are 6 not 4. Don't agree with

kids going all day without a snack. not sure what school does this. My kids always had 2 recesses and snack time. Standardized test are not given to kids until they are in 3rd grade.

[kwassa]

25. Huh? Where does this happen?

They are 5, not 6.

One recess, not two.

Standardized testing, in our district.

Primary Reading (**PSAP-PR) informs instructional practice and measures individual student progress.

The assessment is administered to all kindergarten through Grade 2 students three times a year within a designated testing window.

The fall and winter administrations are formative assessments

**PS second graders take the TerraNova 2 in the spring. This test assesses reading, language mechanics, mathematics, and mathematics computation.

LAS Links is the state-mandated test of English language proficiency administered to grade K – 12 ESOL students annually each spring.

LAS Links results are used to demonstrate the progress **PS and Maryland State ESOL students are making towards proficiency in English

[RayOfHope]

34. It does in my district. I teach K

two recesses and snack. We don't have naps, but that hasnt been too much of a problem. I do think K is a bit much academically these days, however I hate when people call kindergartners babies (you didnt, but many do). They are capable of much more than we give them credit for.

[kwassa]

36. I teach them art

along with the rest of the school. They walk through the door with wildly varied capabilities, depending on pre-school experiences and home environment. In addition, we have a large immigrant population, and many children first encounter English in kindergarten.

That said, I agree they become very capable during kindergarten.

[Pisces]

42. There have been many articles and shows (60 min.) about red shirting. Most kindergarden

Is made up of 6 yr olds. I have young children in school and this is standard practice. Our school has 2 recesses and snack. No naps.

[kwassa]

45. Only 4% of children delay kindergarten.

according to this study:

http://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/bassok%20reardon%20redshirting%20march%202012.pdf

Abstract

Kindergarten “redshirting”—the decision to delay a child’s kindergarten entry—may have consequences not only for the redshirted child but for other children whose grade cohort is affected. We use nationally-representative data to estimate the prevalence of redshirting, its relationship to observable characteristics, and its impact on the composition of kindergarten cohorts. We find that only 4 percent of children delay kindergarten, a lower number than typically reported. Male, white and high SES children are most likely to delay kindergarten. However, we find no evidence that delayed entry is related to children’s social or cognitive skills prior to school entry. Given the low redshirting rates nationwide, redshirting has only modest effects on the magnitude of national kindergarten-entry achievement gaps.

Keywords: school readiness, kindergarten, academic redshirting

I have never even heard of redshirting happening in my school, and we have a high-achieving school system.

I will have to ask the kindergarten teachers.

[enlightenment]

13. I just don't get why anyone thinks this is a good thing

It's no wonder that by the time I get them (college) they're often only semi-literate. Too much testing and not enough teaching doe not educate, but it can destroy the desire to learn.

I had no idea kindergarten had become such an awful place, though I'm not surprised. When they started marketing all that Baby Einstein crap and all those mommy's started competing in the 'my toddler can do differential calculus' contests, I figured that the kids would be paying a heavy price for their parents' egos.

It is sad.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Kindergarten is now watered down 1st grade

And just wait till Common Core hits. It's absolutely horrible.

[enlightenment]

15. I'm afraid to ask . . .

What is Common Core? (I can look it up but I'd like an educator's perspective on it, if you have time).

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. It's a set of standards that 48 states have adopted.

They were written by a team commissioned by the governors' council. There is a lively argument regarding just who was actually on the team who wrote them. Some say no teachers, some say a few teachers, some say all publishing company employees. I've seen several lists so I'm not sure who exactly wrote them. But they are embraced and heavily promoted by Pearson, a publishing company that has basically taken over education in the US. (Every textbook in most classrooms is published by Pearson.)

The important thing - they SUCK. Much too rigorous for our kids. Very developmentally inappropriate. I know only a few teachers who like them.

Here's the website: http://www.corestandards.org/

[enlightenment]

17. Thanks. I'll take a closer look -

as soon as I find my Pepto-Bismol. I'm sure it's going to get the acids roiling . . .

[Nevernose]

31. They stuck some Walt Whitman on the 2nd grade list

At the higher grades, some of them are okay; a lot if the standards are what most states were doing anyway, except now to a national standard. One of the problems is that there are now hundreds if standards. Another is that they're one size fits all, as if all kids from all districts are on the same page. Yet another problem is that, at least in ELA, many of the standards are so specific that a great deal of teacher control is lost. Perhaps the biggest problem is that all grade levels were rolled out at the same time: my nonproficient seniors are suddenly facing much stricter standards, but without the benefit of the previous 12 years of adherence to the Common Core (ok, this is mostly the biggest disadvantage to me and my students; I'm sure elementary teachers would disagree). Now that I think about it, they've been making differentiating instruction for my SpEd kids more difficult than usual -- and that can be hard under the best circumstances.

[enlightenment]

18. Well,

I can't say I think they're crap, but I'm looking at it from the perspective of one who is getting college kids who can barely read and write, much less think critically. I'd love to think that they would be reaching college prepared, rather than needing remedial skills training before they can even begin to tackle the work.

That said - these standards are pie-in-the-sky. Not realistic for most.

I recently discovered that teachers in my school district are being told not to give kids (middle schoolers) entire books to read. Only passages - selections. I'm not sure if that is because it is too hard, or if there isn't enough time (because they need to test) or something else. It's appalling and the teachers are disgusted. How are rules like that going to improve anything?

My state is part of the this Common Core stuff; I have no idea how they think they're going to get from where they are to where those standards suggest they should be anytime soon. Or at all.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Common Core focuses on non-fiction text

Very little fiction. Few novels. An absence of classical literature, which often hooks our high schoolers on reading. It's very sad.

My biggest objection is that CC is developmentally inappropriate. I've taught 3rd graders for over 3 decades and there is no way they are ready to master computing fractions. That's just insane. There are many other examples ....

Our kdg and 1st grade teachers are using CC this year for the first time. I was just in a meeting this past week where K and 1st teachers were discussing the 1st quarter which just ended and how the CC implementation went. There wasn't one teacher in that room who was happy with CC. We have quite a few parents complaining as well.

[enlightenment]

20. Ah -

it was hard to tell from the examples; it looked like a pretty even spread between fiction and non-fiction (and I did see some classics, but maybe not the kind that would attract a high school kid. Frankly, if they're not hooked on reading by the time they hit high school, I find it difficult to believe that they will change much - but I only had one kid and he loved reading from the minute he figured it out, so my experience is limited).

I do agree that the standards are not appropriate for the age groups. I didn't look at the maths section - didn't realize they were suggesting fractions for 3rd graders. 4th grade, maybe - at least for first exposure - but 3rd grade, no.

I'm not arguing your perspective, proud2BlibKansan - I think we're agreeing on the fundamentals, but looking at it from different ends of the battlefield . . . and since you're in the trenches, I'll take your word for it on appropriateness!

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Thanks. I appreciate that!

They don't merely suggest fractions for 3rd grade - they expect kids to divide them, multiply them, convert them to decimals. Concepts we teach now to 5th and 6th graders and THEY struggle with them. **For that matter, how many adults can divide fractions?**

[enlightenment]

26. Don't look at me . . .

I'm an historian! I can do it, but only because I cook a lot.

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. I've been asking people randomly.

And less than 10% know how.

And we think 3rd graders can do this because . . . ???

[Nevernose]

32. It's supposed to be 70% nonfiction

The exact number is buried in there somewhere, but my wife was in a compliance committee and discovered them.

[RayOfHope]

35. A k teacher who just got done with CC as well

no, its not perfect, but our teachers dont think its horrible as a whole. I'm on the ELA committee, and as we're a PCL/CIM/Arkansas Lit whatever they call it now, its not that different from what we're already doing with our literacy model. More smaller things. What it does do--for ELA in kindergarten-is make a teacher be much more intentional in their lesson planning and selection of books. This part really isnt that hard.

I think people also need to understand that not every kindergarten across the land is giving these standardized tests. I dont know of any school in SWMO who is assessing K students in this way. It may be coming, but no one is doing it now.

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. Yes it's coming.

I was on the MSIP5 task force. Just wait. Fasten your seatbelt first though.

[HiPointDem]

41. they will be doing it, and it will be mandatory.

[CreekDog]

24. except for Texas and Alaska, quelle suprise!

[wildeyed]

5. Does it really matter that much at young ages?

One of mine could read when she was in diapers, the other not until end of 2nd grade. But once he learned, he took off and is at about where I remember the older child being at the same age. He kills on the standardized tests now, but it took his neurological system longer to wire up so he could physically do the reading. My understanding is that this is pretty normal. It was not the teachers fault that he was "behind" in reading before 3rd grade, or mine. Physically he just wasn't ready. I worry that if the standardize this information, they will start holding teachers accountable for normal variations in physical development next

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Yes it does because of what we no longer have time for due to all this testing.

5 year olds need to play.

[Sadiedog]

39. Yes, yes, yes!

This is how children learn, by PLAYING!!!!

[SoCalDem]

6. It's pretty amazing.. Just today my husband & I were talking about school tests

When I took the SAT, I and my freinds (all of whom also took the test) were hot to trot to get to the lake that Saturday morning.,. We all breezed through the thing so we could get the hell outta there..

To this day I do not know my SAT score..never cared about it.. I also never filled out a single college application, wrote an essay or took an entrance exam..

I just opened letters and chose the school that gave me the best offer.. KU..full academic scholarship including tuition, books, room & board and grants of $900 per semester (entered Fall of '68)..No loans necessary

I also got offers from K State (p'tooey)..Univ of Missouri, OSU and a few others.. (7 or 8 , as I recall..

I went where most of my high school buds were going.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. LOL my dad wouldn't let me go to KU

He said there were too many hippies there.

Since you were 3 years ahead of me, I'm blaming you. You damn hippie.

[SoCalDem]

44. My roommate and I went to a sorority rush thingie once..

we wore frayed bell bottoms & moccasins.. They were not amused.. they all had on Stepford-esque matching Bobbie Brooks sweater & skirts..

They only wanted us for our grades anyway

[msongs]

3. costs $$ millions to hire useless paper crunchers to process data - better used $$ for classroom nt

[aikoaiko]

10. yet another reason why I'm ponying up for a private school.

I don't mind standardized testing but it has consumed public schools.

[LeftyMom]

30. Makes me glad I'm homeschooling mine.

I don't see any progress being made on this issue while it's so profitable to so many well-connected people.

[porphyrian]

12. . n/t

[HiPointDem]

21. kr

[reformist2]

22. To these "race to the top" freaks force this garbage on private schools???

Something tells me no.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. Of course not.

[reformist2]

33. Well, then. I say we mandate ALL schools follow same rules, public *and* private! ;)

[Occulus]

27. And if ANY of the schmucks here who support this shit show up on this thread

I want to see a seriously righteous smackdown that forces them to self delete their posts

We need to start laying into such fuckers with a ruthless quickness. Personally, I'd like them banned for supporting it, even a little.

[4th law of robotics]

38. If they can't handle the stress just drug them

[Sadiedog]

40. Thank you for this!

I am a Head Start Teacher/ Family advocate and believe it or not this is also happening in pre-school programs even though all the information that we have regarding how children learn points to the fact that they learn through play!(Particularly at this young age) Not to mention the fact that I am so busy assessing that I barely have time to teach at all!

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. You are very welcome

[piratefish08]

46. every child needs to learn the same things, at the same time, in the same way.

it's how we churn out dutiful little workers and consumers, dontcha know?