Why Standardized Tests Are Worthless for Evaluating Teachers and Students
This is a wonderful article that appeared in Education Week, written by Margaret Pastor, a veteran educator in Maryland.
When I started reading, I recoiled at the thought of giving standardized tests to babies in kindergarten. Disgusting. But keep reading, as I did (if you are a subscriber).
Many of us in education have deep misgivings about the role standardized tests play in our schools. As a principal, I’ve had a front-row seat to incidents that illustrate why we should be seriously concerned. Let me tell you about one of them.
A few years ago, an assistant superintendent approached me about the performance of my kindergarten teachers. He had looked at the school’s scores from a commonly used standardized test and had identified an underperforming kindergarten teacher.
He pointed out that in one of my four kindergarten classes, the student scores were noticeably lower, while in another, the students were outperforming the other three classes. He recommended that I have the teacher CONTINUE READING: Why Standardized Tests Are Worthless for Evaluating Teachers and Students | Diane Ravitch's blog
