10 ways to oppose high-stakes standardized tests

[proud2BlibKansan]

By Valerie Strauss

I’ve written several times in recent months about a growing movement by parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, students and others to protest the use of standardized tests for high-stakes purposes.

Here’s a list of 10 things that people can do to counter the damaging effects of high-stakes standardized testing. It was written by Ruth Silverberg, an associate professor in the Education Department of the College of Staten Island CUNY.

The list of 10:

1. Don’t brag if you or your children got high scores on any high stakes tests, including the SAT or ACT. This can help dispel the faulty idea that standardized tests are a valid measure of learning.

2. Ask for evidence that learning is occurring in your neighborhood school such as student work products, presentations, community service. Don’t use the “School Report Card” to assess learning in the school.

3. If you have a student in your home or extended family, reinforce the student’s collaboration with peers on schoolwork, and share this with his/her teacher. This will help dispel the idea that competition fosters learning better than collaboration.

more . . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/10-ways-to-oppose-high-stakes-standardized-tests/2012/06/13/gJQARRODbV_blog.html

[pnwmom]

1. Good ideas. And to the first point, I would add that it is a disservice

to your child to make him or her think that a score on a particular test is more important than actual learning.

[GMR Transcription]

2. 10 ways to oppose high-stakes standardized tests

Hi, Nice and really informative post.
I really like this post and the way the points have been mentioned here in this post. It is really very informative for the readers of this thread.These 10 points mentioned here can e helpful for the reader group which is informing about the high stakes standardized tests.

[LWolf]

3. 8, 9, & 10:

8. Contact and support an organization that opposes high-stakes testing, including FairTest, United Opt Out, Change the Stakes, and Grassroots Education Movement. This will help dispel the idea that you are alone in your opposition to high stakes testing.

9. If you are a parent or guardian of a student, ask your school administration about the possible consequences for “opting out” of the standardized tests. This will help dispel the idea that you don’t have the right to make decisions about your student.

10. Just say ‘no.’ Write/call your legislators, New York State Education Department, U.S. Department of Education.