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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

No, don't judge teachers using tests: Data is flawed and unreliable

No, don't judge teachers using tests: Data is flawed and unreliable

No, don't judge teachers using tests: Data is flawed and unreliable

Wednesday, May 18th 2011, 4:00 AM

Eighth grade students study math in preparation for the New York State exams.
Monaster/News
Eighth grade students study math in preparation for the New York State exams.

When my daughter was 6, she announced, "I'm so lucky to have a smart daddy who's a teacher and can help me with my homework."

I hung a whiteboard in her room, which she began arranging after the fashion of her first-grade teacher. She made her friends sit in a semicircle while she explained whatever it was she had posted on her whiteboard. When they squirmed, she chided them.

Although I tried vainly to push books and music on her, she declared she wanted to become a math teacher. That threw me for a loop, but I was happy because teaching is the best job there is. When one of my beleaguered English-as-a-second-language



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/05/18/2011-05-18_no_dont_judge_teachers_using_tests_data_is_flawed_and_unreliable.html#ixzz1MiJY9vwt