With the recent attempt of Baylor University to artificially inflate SAT scores, there has been renewed discussion about the value of standaradized testing in the United States. Last May, one student in LAUSD blasted state and federal government in the LA Times because of his belief that the tests simply don’t work. In the article, Jordan Senteno stated:
One of the biggest obstacles to better schools are the standardized tests — especially the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) — that the district has to issue because of, among other reasons, the federal government’s No Child Left Behind Act. Schools should have more say over how to measure what students are learning, not have standardized measurements forced on them. Students are getting strikes against them for the mistakes that the government is making.
Recently also in my time observing classes in the Santa Maria Valley, one of the teachers I have been observing mentioned frustration with CFA’s (commom forms of assessment). CFAs are district wide tests given in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District to assess how different schools are doing in various subjects. He explained that he used to be able to first do a quick overview of United States history at the beginning of the year and then take a closer look at each era after the overview. Because of the CFAs and their time sensitivity, he can’t really do the class the way he wants to. I would argue that the biggest change that teachers want to see is to have more control in their own classrooms.
This video, although full of Bristish humor, gives a good satire on many of the problems in education:
