A Request to Make the Pearson Tests Public
I am the parent of an elementary school student in New York City, and even though my son is only in first grade and not yet taking statewide tests, the impact of the city and state’s testing policies are felt in his classroom.
At my son’s school, test prep began in kindergarten and has ratcheted up a notch or two in first grade, clearly shaping the work the children do. This has come at the cost of the more exploratory and play-centered sorts of things that I did in my early school years, and concerns me.
The debates surrounding high-stakes testing also capture my attention because of my career history: I started out in educational publishing and moved on to public administration, spending much of the last 20 years on performance metrics, accountability, and contracting.
So as word began to leak out about pineapple-gate and the other testing gaffes, I started poring over news accounts, editorials and public commentary from educators.
I learned that the tests themselves are being kept secret because the state Department of Education and
At my son’s school, test prep began in kindergarten and has ratcheted up a notch or two in first grade, clearly shaping the work the children do. This has come at the cost of the more exploratory and play-centered sorts of things that I did in my early school years, and concerns me.
The debates surrounding high-stakes testing also capture my attention because of my career history: I started out in educational publishing and moved on to public administration, spending much of the last 20 years on performance metrics, accountability, and contracting.
So as word began to leak out about pineapple-gate and the other testing gaffes, I started poring over news accounts, editorials and public commentary from educators.
I learned that the tests themselves are being kept secret because the state Department of Education and
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