Blue Jersey:: Ed Reform 101: Testing

Blue Jersey:: Ed Reform 101: Testing:

Ed Reform 101: Testing by: Jersey Jazzman Tue Aug 30, 2011 at 09:15:00 AM EDT

Blue Jersey's Ed Reform 101 Part 1 - Standardized Testing Myths In the world of the corporate reformer, standardized testing drives everything. Judging teachers, principals, schools, and students; merit pay, tenure, and layoffs; allocating money; granting charters... it all starts with standardized testing. And it's an article of faith among the corporate "reform" set that standardized tests are fair, accurate, inexpensive, and good for students. The people who actually study this issue and work with children, however, know that nothing could be further from the truth. There is a place for standardized testing in New Jersey, but it is inappropriate to use standardized tests in high-stakes decisions that affect teachers and students. We can't measure a child's learning or a teacher's effectiveness when we put