Opt-Out Review
Every year around this time, I start to get an onslaught of questions from teachers and parents about state administered standardized tests and whether, or not, students are required to take them. I can only touch on the subject, here. If you want to delve deeper, just use the search feature on this site and search for “Opt Out.”
ACCOUNTABILITY
First, it helps to understand why the tests are administered. Nearly two decades ago, the federal government implemented accountability for public schools. The forces behind it were both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats wanted accountability for the poor performance of students living in poverty, students of color, and students who were non-English learners. Republicans saw education as the largest expense in state budgets and wanted results that justified the spending. It is important to understand that accountability describes what school system are required to do. It is in no way a mandate on students, or parents. Over the years, it has become nothing more than a tool for corporate interests to eliminate teacher tenure, bust teacher unions, and replace public schools with charter schools that have non-unionized teachers and run their schools like a business instead of a public entity that serves the good of every student. So what does all this mean to us?
Many years ago, when I was an elementary student, it was the practice to measure student performance using norm-referenced tests (NRT), and the results were reported in percentiles. To determine level of performance, test results are normed against a random sample to determine the bell curve. Percentile is a statistical norm that essentially means a 50th percentile CONTINUE READING: Opt-Out Review – Educate Louisiana
