20-fold increase in standardized testing coming with Gates Foundation's "Common Core": [View all]

[HiPointDem]

Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, May 22, 2012
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/may/22/letters-education-changes/

I wonder how many people are aware of the amount of testing that will eventually accompany the Common Core Standards (“State plans big changes to testing, instruction,” May 21). It will be more than we have ever seen on this planet, and much more than the already excessive amount demanded by No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Testing done at the end of the school year will be expanded to include all subjects that can be tested and more grade levels. As noted in Union-Tribune, there will be “interim” tests given through the year and there may be pretests in the fall to measure growth through the school year.

This means about a 20-fold increase over NCLB.

The cost of implementing these electronically delivered national tests will be enormous, bleeding money from legitimate and valuable school activities. There is no evidence that all this testing will improve things. In fact, the evidence we have now strongly suggests that increasing testing does not increase achievement.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/


Common Core is the name for a set of nation-wide learning objectives/national curriculum. The Gates Foundation had a big role in developing it & pushing it.

In order to get Race to the Top funds, states had to sign on to CC. So far, 45 states have done so. 85% roll-out scheduled for 2015.

A lot of rationales are given for Common Core, but the most important one is that the new privatized Education Services Corporations will get economy of scale; i.e. they'll be able to sell one product to every school, every district, in every state.

Standards are internationally benchmarked, which means the globocorps will be able to sell some of their wares abroad as well. And vice-versa; overseas corps like Pearson (UK) will be able to sell their wares here (as they already are).