Showing posts with label Standardized Testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Standardized Testing. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Race to the Top True Villain

Wilson, Shibrie

Jaeger, P. (2014). The wrong Villain: Critics Should Focus on Race to the Top- On Common Core. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/01/opinion/on-common-core/the-wrong-villain-critics-should-focus-on-race-to-the-top-on-common-core/

Race to the Top is the true focus in which people should be worried about when it comes to educational system. Race to the Top is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education in an effort to reform schools and bridging gap of achievement. At least $4.35 billion has been invested into this program in which measures success of students by numbers. With RttT this is the following: "excessive testing; teacher measurement; data-archiving monsters that will track "achievement" by numbers using many days annually in formal assessment; and requiring monetary expenditures." U.S. leaders understand that students are behind in comparison to students from India or Turkey. Even teachers in which have been in educational field for numerous years standby their understanding that standardized test do not depict an accurate reflection of a students learning.

Opinion:

Race to the Top needs to be revamped and people should become more educated about it. I feel as though it is a form of intimidation because all students do not perform well on standardized test. There must be another way in which U.S. Department of Education can change educational system in which has fallen apart over years. 

Monday, December 7, 2015

Racing to the Top & Common Core

Wilson, Shibrie

Cappiello, M. A. (2014). When Racing to the Top Slows Us Down- On Common Core. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/10/opinion/on-common-core/when-racing-to-the-top-slows-us-down-on-common-core/

Mary Cappiello has had the opportunity to network with different persons from teachers to librarians all in different states and able to learn more about Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Common Core State Standards continues to be in the forefront of educational debates. Many have perception that supporting CCSS one supports standardized testing. Cappiello stated "being against them suggests a belief in a top-down government and/or a corporate takeover of education, plus a massive mandate for more testing." Race to the Top (RttT) is a different implementation of educational curriculum. It seems as though Common Core State Standards is the problem its Race to the Top in which enforces excessive testing and specifically tracks achievement by numbers. Schools that have adopted Race to the Top funding are only focused on test scores of students and not the experience and their intellectual growth, everything is based around numbers. Not only are students under pressure with RttT but teachers as well because their performance is dependent on test scores. 

Opinion:
I have heard more negative things associated with Common Core State Standards than positive. Now I see that not only is CCSS becoming an issue but Race to the Top. Numbers, numbers, numbers that seems be all legislators care about. Maybe it is because they are trying to compete with other students globally but I am sure there is another way to go about this. I do not believe standardized test should solely determine a students performance throughout their educational career. Curriculums such ad these presented are taking the joy out of being an educator.