NY TESTING HORROR STORIES
ELA TESTS - DAY 3
THANK YOU TO LONG ISLAND OPT OUT FOR SHARING AND ALLOWING BATs to PUBLISH AND GET THE WORD OUT.
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You can join LIOO here https://www.facebook.com/groups/Longislandoptout/
You can get NY test refusal information here at NYSAPE http://www.nysape.org/
You can get National test refusal information here at United Opt Out http://unitedoptout.com/
ELA TESTS - DAY 3
THANK YOU TO LONG ISLAND OPT OUT FOR SHARING AND ALLOWING BATs to PUBLISH AND GET THE WORD OUT.
You can join LIOO here https://www.facebook.com/groups/Longislandoptout/
You can get NY test refusal information here at NYSAPE http://www.nysape.org/
You can get National test refusal information here at United Opt Out http://unitedoptout.com/
My district wanted me to go to scorer leader training at Boces next week, but because our district sends out the tests to be graded, Boces sent me an email explaining that I cannot be trained on how the test is graded because as a non-grader it would hurt the "integrity if the test". Obviously, this is another example of the lack of transparency that surrounds these tests, but it also is contradicting to Tisch's false point last night that teachers can build curriculum around these results. If how to score an essay for the ELA is something teachers can't even be trained for, how can we help the students who still have to take these tests. Obviously, I am passionately against these exams, have rallied against them in several locations and opted my own children out. But I am still trying to do my job.
As teachers, we keep trying to get ahead of these standards and find a way to attack these tests fairly and they keep upping the game. It's another example of their obvious lack of transparency and the "gotcha" factor that are destroying the art of teaching.
Dear Colleagues,
I regret to inform you that we will need to cancel your registration in our Scoring Leader Training for ELA (April 20-21) and/or Math (April 28-29) due to the fact that your district is sending the tests out to be scored. The state has confirmed that this training is ONLY for those involved in directly scoring the tests. This is necessary to maintain the integrity of the test. Your superintendent and assistant superintendents have been notified. We will take care of cancelling your registration here at SWBOCES.
We recognize the need for professional development around the test and the state expectations. We are committed to providing you with multiple professional development opportunities in these areas as soon as the state releases approximately 50% of the test this summer. Once this release occurs, courses will be made available in My Learning Plan for both the summer and 2015-2016 school year.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused for you, but look forward to learning together soon! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Supervisor of Literacy and Learning
Center for Professional Development and Curriculum Support
Southern Westchester BOCES
Grade 6 Day 3: Open the booklet to see an article titled " Nimbus Clouds: Mysterious, Ephemeral, and Now Indoors". The word ephemeral was also used in the text and there was no footnote! I know several adults who could not define this word! After reading this painful article, they were then asked again how a photograph helps them understand certain lines of the text! The paired passages were both focused on the relationships between dogs and their owners. Here are more vocabulary words - paroxysm, sufferance (footnoted) clamorous, furlong, "queer throw back trait" (not footnoted). The children were very confused because people did not have names in the story, but the dogs did. The second paired passage was "That Spot" by Jack London, written in 1908. Again, very confusing with a lot of old English and extremely complex sentences. Vocabulary included "beaten curs", "absconders of justice" (in the same sentence) surmise, "savve our cabin" , and "let's maroon him". Students were asked to determine how the author's use of the word "that" repeatedly in front of the dog's name shows the narrator's relationship with the dog. Think of how difficult this must've been not just for general Ed students, but also for our ELL's and Students with Disabilities! They were then also asked to determine the theme of a paragraph! Most English teachers will tell you that theme is the message the author is trying to convey throughout a WHOLE text. Asking the theme of one isolated paragraph is ridiculous! The essay was a comparison of the challenges of both dogs, which isn't a poor question. However, the texts were both so difficult for the kids to understand that it made it difficult for them to organize their thoughts. Throw in the fact that they once again had a time limit of 90 minutes and you guaranteed frustration, anxiety, and many not finishing. Thank goodness this test is over!
Book excerpt from 4th grade test today:
I think it is safe to make an assumption that multiple versions of the ELA test are given. That being said, is it reasonable to question IF all the tests are equal? Do all districts receive tests with the SAME number of passages ? Are some students burdened with MORE READING than others to obtain the same number of answers? Are lexiles equal? Is the totality of all the words read in the passages the same for all students? How can a test be standardized if there are multiple versions? Could there be a purposeful distribution of tests so that districts continue to maintain certain standings?
Fourth grade day 3 passages from WHICH WAY TO THE WILD WEST BY STEVE SHEINKIN Lexile 940
HATTIE BIG SKY by Kirby Larson Lexile 700 but lists interest level grades 6-8
IF WISHES WERE HORSES BY NATALIE KINSEY WARNOK Lexile 796
6th grade test was ridiculous and frustrating to all. Some passages were readable, but the majority of the questions focused on text structure and specific lines of the text. Students were forced to continuously return to the text to analyze lines for almost every answer choice, which made it virtually impossible to finish in 90 minutes. Most of the selections were science based and a poem was two pages long and way too advanced for sixth graders.Vocabulary was so far over their heads in several passages as well. There were some questions where teachers could not determine the correct answer. It was heartbreaking to watch students struggle and give up. By the end, many were randomly bubbling just to "finish". This test is no where close to bring an accurate measure of skills taught in any 6th grade ELA classroom!
The extended response yesterday had to do with the architectural design of roller coasters and their height and why cables are used instead of chains as they were in the past. I forget specifically what the bullet points the kids had to hit on to answer the extended response but they had to talk about how cables are better than chains, also something about how the architects work together to plan out these designs, and something else that I can't remember. It was ridiculous though and very difficult for a 4th grader. None of the kids that I tested were able to answer this hitting all of the points they asked for. They knew that the cables made the roller coaster go higher than it would with chains but could not tell how they worked together in planning and building these newly designed roller coasters for height.