Should Kids Be Allowed To Opt Out Of Standardized Tests? Many Americans Say 'No'

Should Kids Be Allowed To Opt Out Of Standardized Tests? Many Americans Say 'No':

Should Kids Be Allowed To Opt Out Of Standardized Tests? Many Americans Say 'No'

 Even though most Americans think that kids are given too many standardized tests in school these days, that doesn't necessarily mean they think kids should have the ability to opt out of these assessments, according to new HuffPost/YouGov poll.

This month, as schools around the country are giving statewide Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers tests, or PARCC assessments, a contingency of families who refuse to participate in standardized testing have been thrust into the spotlight. Earlier this month in New Mexico, thousands of students opted not to participate in PARCC tests, which are associated with the Common Core State Standards -- a set of education benchmarks that have been adopted in most states. Similarly, in New Jersey, school districts have reported high numbers of opt-outs.

Many states' policies on whether students are actually allowed to refuse standardized tests are murky. In many states that technically forbid students from opting out, some kids still refuse to take the tests, and the unclear policies lack enforcement. There are only a few states that explicitly allow students to abstain from taking statewide tests.

In collaboration with YouGov, The Huffington Post conducted a nationally representative poll on the subject of standardized testing this month. While most of the 1,000 respondents seemed to feel that standardized tests only do a "fair" or "poor" job of measuring student learning, many seemed to be less clear on whether they thought these tests should be optional.

Many respondents reported feeling that standardized testing has done more harm than good over the past 10 years, as shown in the graph below. The increased focus on standardized testing began in 2001 with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, which outlined consequences for schools if students performed poorly on the exams.Should Kids Be Allowed To Opt Out Of Standardized Tests? Many Americans Say 'No':

Should Kids Be Allowed To Opt Out Of Standardized Tests? Many Americans Say 'No':

Parents Can Opt Out - United Opt Out National

Click Here to go to United Opt Out National: 

Click Here to go to the Website- United Opt Out Team

Click Here to go to the Website FairTest

Board: Dick Snyder's school reform plan violates constitution

Board asks Snyder to reconsider tranfer of state school reform office:



Board: Dick Snyder's school reform plan violates constitution

 The State Board of Education today unanimously asked Gov. Rick Snyder to reconsider the transfer of the state school reform office from the Michigan Department of Education to a state office directly under his control, saying the move violates the state constitution.

The board cited a provision in the Michigan Constitution that says "leadership and general supervision over all public education" is vested in a state education board. It said the framers of the constitution were clear in their intent.

"The reasons... are as relevant today as they were in 1963," Casandra Ulbrich, D-Rochester Hills, said as she read from a statement the board issued today.

"Decisions affecting the educational environment, from school safety to effective learning environments and health and well-being, should be directed by those with expertise in effective education policy, not by individuals or government departments with no expertise in educating children," the statement said.

The board appoints the state superintendent, who oversees the MDE.

Read the full statement here.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

Snyder yanks school reform office from Dept. of Education

Snyder signed an executive order Thursday moving the office to the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget. The school reform office oversees 138 priority schools — those that perform in the bottom 5% of all schools statewide. The office works with those schools to develop plans for improvement and hold them accountable for carrying out those plans. Snyder has said he wants the office to take a more proactive approach in addressing the worst-performing schools in the state.

The executive order takes effect 60 days from when it was signed.

Whether the transfer truly violates the constitution is unclear. It would not be the first time a major function of the department was moved. Gov. John Engler moved all assessment functions from MDE when he was in office, a move that was reversed when Gov. Jennifer Granholm took office.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

Fractured education reform never works

David Murray, a spokesman for Snyder, said the executive order "is within the governor's constitutional authority."

"Gov. Snyder took this step because he believes in looking at the best possible outcome in the fastest way possible," Murray said. "Our urgent goal is to make a meaningful difference for the children and families in these most struggling schools, some of which have been struggling for years."

Board member John Austin, D-Ann Arbor, said earlier in the meeting that the move is counterproductive. The board, he said, must make the case that moving education functions across state government isn't "the most effective way to hit the intended target of turning around" the worst-performing schools.

The governor, he said, is missing an opportunity to bring together the state board, the governor's office and the next state schools superintendent. The board could decide as soon as Wednesday on a new superintendent, who would replace the retiring Mike Flanagan.

Eileen Weiser, R-Ann Arbor, pointed out one irony in the statement: some of the functions of the State Board that are noted in the constitution — and reiterated in the Board asks Snyder to reconsider tranfer of state school reform office:

BESE Pres Chas Roemer: Opt-out Zeroes Won’t Affect School Scores (??) | deutsch29

BESE Pres Chas Roemer: Opt-out Zeroes Won’t Affect School Scores (??) | deutsch29:



BESE Pres Chas Roemer: Opt-out Zeroes Won’t Affect School Scores (??)

 Let’s talk “opting out” of Louisiana’s “PARCC” test on the first day (Monday, March 16, 2015) as reported on the Louisiana Radio Network blog:

Calcasieu, Jackson, and Central School systems lead the state in the percentage of opt-outs during Monday’s first day of statewide PARCC testing.  Jackson had an opt-out rate of 13-percent, followed by 12-percent for Calcasieu and eight-percent for Central.  

Central School Superintendent Michael Faulk says 153 students in the district did not participate.

 “It’s really higher at Central Middle.  It’s 10-percent at Central Middle and a little bit lower at Central Intermediate.”

Statewide about one-percent of students opted-out of the Common Core testing.  Opt-outs will be given a zero on the exams and that will transfer to the school and school district scores.  Faulk says he’s concerned that his school system will be judged with no consideration to the percentage of opt-outs.

I do not have the Louisiana “PARCC” opt-out numbers for Tuesday, March 17, 2015; however, such was apparently concern enough for Central school district to seek a word from Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) president, Chas Roemer.

The following message appeared around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, on the Central City News Facebook page:

BESE CHAIRMAN CHAS ROEMER Says Central Schools Will Not Be Penalized Because of Opt/Out.

By Woody Jenkins, editor.

In an exclusive interview with the Central City News this afternoon, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education chairman Chas Roemer said the board will not allow the Central Community School System to be penalized because 

BESE Pres Chas Roemer: Opt-out Zeroes Won’t Affect School Scores (??) | deutsch29:

Pearson Under Fire for Monitoring Students' Twitter Posts - NYTimes.com

Pearson Under Fire for Monitoring Students' Twitter Posts - NYTimes.com:

Pearson Under Fire for Monitoring Students’ Twitter Posts

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which demanded that Pearson halt its student social media monitoring.Credit Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters

Is it corporate due diligence or spying on children?

That is the question parents across the country have been asking on Twitter and on blog posts since they learned that the publishing giant Pearson Education has been monitoring social media to identify students who might be leaking information about certain tests administered by the company.

The math and English tests — called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC — are being developed by a consortium of states in conjunction with Pearson to measure students’ preparedness for life after graduation.

In a statement posted on the company’s site, Pearson said the states contractually required it to monitor public social media posts to make sure students did not disclose test questions.

Although education officials in some states already screen social media on their own for possible test leaks, Pearson’s efforts have ignited a firestorm among some teacher and parent groups who contend the monitoring is invasive and unfair.

On Tuesday, the American Federation of Teachers demanded that Pearson halt its student social media monitoring and make public any contract language related to its security measures for tests.

“It’s one thing to protect intellectual property, but this raises far too many questions,” Randi Weingarten, the president of the teachers’ union, wrote in an email on Tuesday. “How is Pearson monitoring students? What information about students does Pearson have, where did it get it, and what will it keep? Is Pearson reviewing everything students post? What protections are there for student privacy?”

Pearson’s monitoring of social media for possible leaks on test questions first came to public attention a few days ago after Bob Braun, a blogger in New Jersey and a former columnist for The Star-Ledger, of Newark, published a private email from a concerned school official to her fellow superintendents.

In the email, Elizabeth C. Jewett, the superintendent of the Watchung Hills Regional High School District in Warren, N.J., told her colleagues that Pearson had notified state education officials of a security breach in the belief that a student at the school had taken a photograph of a question during the test and posted it on Twitter. The state officials, she wrote, asked that her school discipline the Pearson Under Fire for Monitoring Students' Twitter Posts - NYTimes.com:

Implementing California’s School Funding Formula

California’s new funding formula provides extra funding for low-income, English Learner, and foster care students, and it gives local districts flexibility in how they spend the money. Laura Hill, senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), provides an overview of new PPIC research on implementation challenges. Then a panel of experts takes up the issue. Panelists are Carolyn Chu of the Legislative Analyst's Office; Jonathan Raymond, president of the Stuart Foundation and former superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District; PPIC research associate Paul Warren; and Riverside County school superintendent Kenneth Young. Patrick Murphy, PPIC research director, moderates.

Three Things You Should Know About the Stuart Foundation’s Grantmaking 

Alyssa Ochs

If you’re working with children in the states of California or Washington, the Stuart Foundation should definitely be on your radar. This San Francisco-based foundation awards education and child welfare grants in the $50,000 to $100,000 range each year.

The purpose of all Stuart grants is to transform public education and the child welfare system so youth can achieve great things in school and life. This might seem straightforward enough, but there are a few things that you should keep in mind as you apply for a grant with this foundation. The foundation has recently made a few crucial staffing and program changes that you may not have heard about yet (Read Stuart Foundation Profile).

The Stuart Foundation Has a New President

On May 21, 2014, the Stuart Foundation announced its new president, Jonathan P. Raymond. Raymond is replacing Christy Pichel, who led grantmaking since 2003. He comes to the Stuart Foundation from the Sacramento City Unified School District, where he served as Superintendent and was a founding member of the California Office to Reform Education (CORE). We expect Raymond to bring his passions for Common Core Standards and closing the achievement gap for minority students to the Stuart Foundation when he assumes the position in mid-July 2014.

Community Schools Are No Longer Eligible for Grants

Over the past decade, the Stuart Foundation invested nearly $12 million in community schools, like the Los Angeles Education Partnership and the Community Schools Collaboration in Washington’s South King County. In a general sense, community schools are partnerships between schools and community resources that go beyond standard public school classroom offerings. But for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, the Stuart Foundation is no longer accepting grant applications from community schools. Instead, Stuart is now focusing on improving district education systems and statewide policies.

Stuart Supports Both Public and Private Foster Care Agencies

Through its Vulnerable Youth in Child Welfare Program, the Stuart Foundation partners with both public and private child welfare agencies to provide resources and services to youth in foster care. Within its foster care support, the foundation funds programs related to safety, permanency, wellbeing, education, and family and community engagement. The foundation staff aims to identify gaps in services for foster youth and instill a sense of urgency in executing social work practices.

Stuart Foundation http://bit.ly/1DzvqmU

High Stakes Testing’s Threat to Civil Liberties BY YOHURU WILLIAMS

High Stakes Testing:

High Stakes Testing’s Threat to Civil Liberties

BY YOHURU WILLIAMS

Education Bloggers revealed that the company retained by testing giant Pearson to ensure the integrity of its assessments has been monitoring student’s social media accounts in conjunction with policing the controversial Common Core Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). These are only the latest in a series of scandals dogging corporate education reform. Such revelations should give parents even greater reason to feel secure in their decisions to refuse high stakes testing for their children.

Curiously, the same cabal that tends to spring to the defense of testing and corporate education reform remained silent with regard to the latest issue. It seems obvious that the talking points memo issued with hefty campaign contributions and other payoffs by the corporate giants making a fortune on testing schemes did not cover the violation of basic civil liberties that went along with their testing packages.

In fact, those talking points consist only of ways to brand parents, teachers, and teacher’s unions as the real problem. The tired rhetoric would be laughable if it were not fundamentally undemocratic. That is really what makes it so scary–for it is clear they are less concerned with safeguarding democracy than generating profits. Yet, they use extreme labels and metaphors that paint as extremists those most concerned with the protection of youth.

Last month, for instance, Wisconsin governor and presidential hopeful Scott Walker ignited a firestorm at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference after he compared combating teachers unions to fighting Isis. “If I can take on 100,000 protesters,” he stridently informed those in attendance, “I can do the same across the world.

This is really the same stale script of trying to use fear of terrorism and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement to advance the corporate education reform agenda. To show how unimaginative Walker was, more than a decade ago George Bush’s Education Secretary, Dr. Rod Paige, definitely branded the country’s leading teachers union, the National Education Association, as “a terrorist organization” in February of 2004. When the comments Paige shared in a closed session with the nation’s Governors became public, he apologized but more than 10 years later the label High Stakes Testing:

The Problems with the Common Core:

The Problems with the Common Core

MICHAEL DUFFY

 This is a revised version of a talk on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) delivered in Portland, Oregon, Sept. 20, 2013. The CCSS have been adopted by 46 states and are currently being implemented in school districts throughout the United States.

The trouble with the Common Core is not primarily what is in these standards or what's been left out, although that's certainly at issue. The bigger problem is the role the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are playing in the larger dynamics of current school reform and education politics.

Today everything about the Common Core, even the brand name—the Common Core State Standards—is contested because these standards were created as an instrument of contested policy. They have become part of a larger political project to remake public education in ways that go well beyond slogans about making sure every student graduates “college and career ready,” however that may be defined this year. We're talking about implementing new national standards and tests for every school and district in the country in the wake of dramatic changes in the national and state context for education reform. These changes include:

• A 10-year experiment in the use of federally mandated standards and tests called No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that has been almost universally acknowledged as a failure.
• The adoption of test-based teacher evaluation frameworks in dozens of states, largely as a result of federal mandates.
• Multiple rounds of budget cuts and layoffs that have left 34 of the 50 states providing less funding for education than they did five years ago, and the elimination of more than 300,000 teaching positions.
• A wave of privatization that has increased the number of publicly funded but privately run charter schools by 50 percent, while nearly 4,000 public schools have been closed in the same period.
• An appalling increase in the inequality and child poverty surrounding our schools, categories in which the United States leads the world and that tell us far more about the source of our educational problems than the uneven quality of state curriculum standards.
• A dramatic increase in the cost and debt burden of college access.
• A massively well-financed campaign of billionaires and politically powerful advocacy organizations that seeks to replace our current system of public education—which, for all its many flaws, is probably the most democratic institution we have and one that has done far more to address inequality, offer hope, and provide opportunity than the country's financial, economic, political, and media institutions—with a market-based, non-unionized, privately managed system.

I think many supporters of the Common Core don't sufficiently take into account how these larger forces define the context in which the standards are being introduced, and how much that context is shaping implementation. As teacher-blogger Jose Vilson put it:

People who advocate for the CCSS miss the bigger picture that people on the ground don't: The CCSS came as a package deal with the new teacher evaluations, higher stakes testing, and austerity measures, including mass school closings. Often, it seems like the leaders are talking out of both sides of their mouths when they say they want to improve education but need to defund our schools. . . . It makes no sense for us to have high expectations of our students when we don't have high expectations for our school system.

My own first experience with standards-based reform was in New Jersey, where I taught English and journalism to high school students for many years in one of the state's poorest cities. In the 1990s, curriculum standards became a central issue in the state's long-running funding equity case, Abbott v. Burke. The case began by documenting how lower levels of resources in poor urban districts produced unequal educational opportunities in the form of worse The Problems with the Common Core:

Erin Go Chuy: Leprechauns endorse Garcia #‎Chuy2015‬ ‪#‎imwithchuy‬

Erin Go Chuy: Leprechauns endorse Garcia - Blogs On Politics - Crain's Chicago Business:



Erin Go Chuy: Leprechauns endorse Garcia

Forget last night's contentious debateand all those fancy-schmancy mayoral endorsements from newspapers and presidents of the United States and other big shots. The endorsement that Chicago has been waiting for this St. Paddy's Day finally is out, and the leprechauns have spoken.

According to a press release out this morning, Local 317 of the Amalgamated Brotherhood of Leprechauns has has thrown its weight behind Jesus "Chuy" Garcia—or, perhaps O'Garcia, I should say. The stated reason: "Pots of gold and rainbows (are) at risk."

Says ABLMSM Secretary-general Kelly Carney Ambrose in the release (before disappearing), "Rahm Emanuel has been a disaster for everyday leprechauns, perhaps mistaking us for Chicago schoolchildren. His TIF-funded shillelagh to Chicago's finances also has put the pots of gold of working families, and leprechauns, at risk."

Of course, one could argue that Garcia's failure to produce a plan to balance the city's budget and keep it from financial meltdown threatens everyone's pots of gold. But I digress.

OK, SO WHO'S REALLY BEHIND THIS?

Continues the release—which actually came from United Working Families, a progressive coalition that includes the Chicago Teachers Union, SEIU Healthcare and other pro-Garcia groups—"(Emanuel) fits into (Gov.) Bruce Rauner's waistcoat when it comes to the rights of leprechauns to organize, and we have found his promises on school closings to be pure blarney. Chuy Garcia, meanwhile, has laudable facial hair and will preserve the soles of the shoes of working families AND their pots of gold."

One more blast: "Emanuel's rainbow-light cameras have unfairly targeted those leprechauns least able to pay. And under the Emanuel administration, leprechauns have been wrongly targeted for our festive breeches and wee pipes. We weave straw into gold all day for Erin Go Chuy: Leprechauns endorse Garcia - Blogs On Politics - Crain's Chicago Business:

Toward Fiscal Sustainability: A New Approach in Prudent Fiscal Management of Chicago

Click here to go to Jesus "Chuy" Garcia for Mayor of Chicago Website

‪#‎Chuy2015‬ ‪#‎imwithchuy‬

Orwellian nightmare unleashed on school kids - Truth As Authority

Orwellian nightmare unleashed on school kids - Truth As Authority:



Orwellian nightmare unleashed on school kids -

Leo Hohmann is a news editor for WND. He has been a reporter and editor at several suburban newspapers in the Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, areas and also served as managing editor of Triangle Business Journal in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Technology is increasingly being used by schools to gather data on students, testing not just their knowledge of subjects like reading, math and science but subjective “social skills.”

Parents and students have been “opting out” of high-stakes testing in record numbers over the past year, saying the standardized tests waste valuable instruction time, cause undue stress and often measure “skills” that have nothing to do with academic knowledge.

Rather than merely asking for a right or wrong answer to a math, history or science question, the new assessment industry is capable of boring into a child’s attitudes, values, opinions and beliefs, all of which parents and privacy advocates say is no business of the government’s.

The pushback has led some state education systems to recommend a reduction in the amount of high-stakes testing in public schools.

But, parents beware, the sudden realization that maybe too much testing is going on is not going to lead to less data being collected. Quite the opposite.

In fact, traditional testing may no longer be needed. Schools have found they have better, more efficient ways to collect even more data on your child, without resorting to paper and sharpened No. 2 pencils.

Oregon’s Gov. John Kitzhaber, for instance, assigned a task force to this problem recently and after a year of private meetings, the group is ready to unveil its recommendations which are expected to include replacing standardized tests with high-tech “observation” tools.

Fewer tests might sound like a relief to stressed-out students and wary parents.

But what if your child’s teacher could have access to a software application that allows her to collect data on your child in real time, without ever rolling out a test?

Enter the BOSS app. It is just one of countless new data-collection products available to school systems looking to collect data on the sneak.

BOSS stands for Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools. The app was designed to “enable psychologists to observe” patients but is now being marketed to schools interesting in tracking students’ behavioral patterns.

Created by the British-based textbook giant Pearson, the BOSS app can be loaded onto a smartphone and used to secretly monitor every move of targeted students in the classroom.

Does little Johnny fidget in his seat a bit too much? Does he socialize with the students around him in an appropriate manner? Does he tend to stare aimlessly out the window when he should be paying attention to the teacher?

All of this information can be pulled in and stored in an individual dossier for later analyzing and assigned an intervention and remediation that will deal with Johnny’s shortcomings, whether they be laziness, lack of assertiveness, over-aggressiveness Orwellian nightmare unleashed on school kids - Truth As Authority:

Pearson Statement on Test Security:

Pearson Statement on Test Security

March 14, 2015 in PreK-12 Education

The security of a test is critical to ensure fairness for all students and teachers and to ensure that the results of any assessment are trustworthy and valid.

We welcome debate and a variety of opinions in the education space. But when test questions or elements of a test are posted publicly to the Internet, including social media, we are obligated to alert PARCC states. Any contact with students or decisions about student consequences are handled at the local level.

We believe that a secure test maintains fairness for every student and upholds the validity and integrity of the test results.

Frequently Asked Questions

So what is Pearson’s role with PARCC exactly?

Pearson is the lead testing contractor for PARCC. We were successful in winning a multi-year bid to develop and administer the PARCC tests to students in a group of states. That group of states sets all policy for PARCC, and owns all aspects of the program – including the actual test questions. Pearson’s contract with the PARCC states clearly stipulates the scope of our work and responsibilities.

For more information on PARCC, you can visit www.parcconline.org to register for a weekly newsletter and even take a practice PARCC test yourself. You can follow PARCC on Twitter (@PARCCPlace) to learn the latest news and information.

Does Pearson monitor conversations about the test administration process and individual test questions on social media, and how does that work?

Part of Pearson’s role in developing the PARCC tests is to ensure all students have a fair and equal opportunity to take each exam. The PARCC states contractually require Pearson to help ensure test questions and other sensitive information is not shared publicly.

Test booklets have bar codes and are delivered in shrink-wrapped packages. Principals train their teachers and staff on how to properly handle test booklets prior to, during, and after testing. Anything that compromises this secure process from beginning to end could jeopardize the integrity of the tests and call into question the validity and accuracy of students’ results.

A breach includes any time someone shares information about a test outside of the classroom – from casual conversations to posts on social media. Again, our goal is to ensure a fair test for all students. Every student deserves his or her chance to take the test on a level playing field.

What happens if a test security breach occurs?

If Pearson is made aware of any potential breach in test security, we are required to immediately notify the state department(s) of education with whom we have a contract to provide the tests. We will then work closely with the state(s) to verify the authenticity of the breach.

Does Pearson spy on the conversations that students have on social media?

Absolutely not. Pearson is contractually required by states to monitor public conversations on social media to ensure that no assessment information (text, photos, etc.) that is secure and not public is improperly disclosed. Students’ social media pages are public and often include information that indicates their name and/or where they go to school. Only when it is confirmed that a test question has been exposed or compromised does Pearson work with states to address the breach.

Test questions are owned by the PARCC states, which must protect their investment and the integrity and validity of their tests. Security breaches are unfair to the many hundreds of teachers, principals, curriculum leaders, superintendents and others from each of the PARCC states that have invested thousands of hours providing input and helping to develop and review test questions.

Does Pearson punish a student who violates test security by talking about a test question from a “live” test on Facebook or Twitter?

Absolutely not. It is important to note in the event of a security breach that any contact with or decisions about consequences for the individuals involved are handled by the state(s) and local school district (s).Pearson Statement on Test Security:

Big Education Ape: Companies cash in on Common Core despite controversy http://bit.ly/1Ah00v6

How Should Learning Be Assessed? | MindShift

How Should Learning Be Assessed? | MindShift:

How Should Learning Be Assessed?

This is the second of a two-part conversation with Yong Zhao about standards, testing and other core elements of the modern system of education, and the assumptions that may be standing in the way of meeting the real learning needs of all children. He is a professor in the college of education at the University of Oregon and author of Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon: Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World and World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students.

There is already a strong backlash against politicians and school administrators because of high-stakes standardized tests, and the way results are used to justify school closures. Some parents and educators have encouraged families to “opt out” of tests, such as those related to the Common Core State Standards, as a way to protest these practices and the effects they are having on children, families and communities. However, Yong Zhao, education professor at the University of Oregon, recommends that parents, educators and policymakers go a step further, and use the moment to re-examine the role of testing—and the issue of accountability—more broadly.

Tests are just one form of assessment, he points out, and limited in what they can accurately measure. Important qualities such as creativity, persistence and collaboration, for example, are tricky to measure, because they are individualized and situation- or task-specific (someone may collaborate well in one group setting but not in another). And no test can measure whether children are receiving “a quality learning experience that meets the needs of individual students.”

High-stakes tests concern Zhao the most, because he says they represent more than misspent time and money. He faults them for suppressing creativity and innovation, and creating narrowed educational experiences, because everything that is not measured becomes secondary or is dismissed entirely. Moreover, “constant ranking and sorting” creates stress and makes students less confident.

Beyond Grades: Do Games Have a Future As Assessment Tools?

Rethinking Assessment: Trusting Teachers to Evaluate Student Learning

More Progressive Ways to Measure Deeper Levels of Learning

Can a Child’s Creativity and Persistence be Assessed by a Game?

By contrast, feedback that avoids needless comparisons among students can be very useful, and doesn’t require much time or money. When it’s clear which skills and content need to be mastered (such as the ability to conjugate verbs in order to become proficient in a foreign language), low-stakes tests can help learners direct their attention to filling in the gaps in their knowledge. More helpful still are explicit written assessments that describe an individual’s progress. The key to good assessment, says Zhao, is to ask: “Whose purpose does this serve? Is the learner trying to get better using assessment, … rather than just using it to judge?”

Parents seeking assurance that their children are learning can look at their children’s engagement level, and notice if they’re exploring topics or pursuits that interest them, and improving in their areas of interest.

Steps for Identifying Needs

As for how to evaluate schools, he recommends that parents and community members ponder  How Should Learning Be Assessed? | MindShift: