Testing season here in New York begins mid-April. The State Education Department has apparently been working hard to dispel parent concerns about testing which led last year to a 20% Opt Out rate.
You would be hard-pressed to consider their responses worthy of increased trust and therefore increased participation in the 2016 testing season.
In response to the widespread concern that students "did not have enough time to apply their best reading skills in the time allowed," the New York State Department of Education reduced the amount of reading passages and test questions by exactly one reading passage and the accompanying questions.
You would be hard-pressed to consider their responses worthy of increased trust and therefore increased participation in the 2016 testing season.
In response to the widespread concern that students "did not have enough time to apply their best reading skills in the time allowed," the New York State Department of Education reduced the amount of reading passages and test questions by exactly one reading passage and the accompanying questions.
Do they really believe this "will decrease
testing fatigue for some students?"
In response to the widespread concern that students sit too
long for tests, the State claims to be "pleased to announce the transition to untimed testing for the Spring 2016
Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests."
They go on to say that as "NYSED also received extensive feedback from educators from throughout the State about the inability of students to work at their own pace on the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests" students are now being given almost limitless time to complete the tests.
NYSED supports this decision by claiming, "This change will provide students further opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do by allowing them to work at their own pace. In general, this will mean that as long as students are productively working they will be allowed as much time as they need to complete the ELA and Mathematics tests. Additionally, this change in policy may help alleviate the pressures that some students may experience as a result of taking an assessment they must complete during a limited amount of time."
They go on to say that as "NYSED also received extensive feedback from educators from throughout the State about the inability of students to work at their own pace on the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests" students are now being given almost limitless time to complete the tests.
NYSED supports this decision by claiming, "This change will provide students further opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do by allowing them to work at their own pace. In general, this will mean that as long as students are productively working they will be allowed as much time as they need to complete the ELA and Mathematics tests. Additionally, this change in policy may help alleviate the pressures that some students may experience as a result of taking an assessment they must complete during a limited amount of time."
Really?! Is it just me or do these "changes" sound
more like editing and shell games?
Can these changes honestly be characterized as substantive responses
to the significant concerns parents, teachers, and students have raised in
response to testing in Grades 3-8?
Well, I've been doing my due-diligence and contacted NYSED for
guidance. I've emailed them several times to inquire how exactly I am to
administer an "un-timed" test.
Today I finally heard back from someone in the SED office.
The guidance they are offering is vague and relies on local decision making as to how districts
choose to interpret what an "un-timed" testing session should look
like. Is that really in the best interest of uniformity and reliability
of data collection, let alone the students themselves?
What do I do when I have some students who finish "working
productively" in 20 minutes, and others choose to take two, maybe even
three hours? With my current class, that is entirely possible. Are
all students expected to sit quietly while a few (maybe only one?) work for
several hours to meticulously answer each and every question?
The response I received included a link to the
letter written by Deputy Commissioner Angelica Infante and says, in part
"These changes are just some of
the efforts that NYSED is committed to implementing to improve the quality of
the State’s assessments and the experiences that students have taking these
tests."
It is difficult for me as a dedicated and concerned teacher to see these changes as an honest effort to improve anything. It's hard not to take these decisions as anything more than a slap in the face. There is nothing in the actions of the State that can be considered a serious response to significant and serious concerns.
So, I propose ACTION # 3 (For New York teachers and parents)
Contact NYSED and ask them your own questions. A link to the letter from Ms. Infante can be found here. The guidance the State is currently offering teachers and administrators on how to administer "un-timed" tests can be found here on page 6.
So, I propose ACTION # 3 (For New York teachers and parents)
Contact NYSED and ask them your own questions. A link to the letter from Ms. Infante can be found here. The guidance the State is currently offering teachers and administrators on how to administer "un-timed" tests can be found here on page 6.
And you can send your own
questions about testing programs, policies, and procedures to emscassessinfo@nysed.
I wonder what would happen if New York teachers started filling the NYSED inbox with their questions of concern?
Will you join me?
I wonder what would happen if New York teachers started filling the NYSED inbox with their questions of concern?
Will you join me?
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