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I currently teach Pre-Kindergarten in Florida. Recently I researched that in the state of Florida before 2014 children entering Kindergarten were being tested on the standards that they should have been taught in Pre-Kindergarten. I am not sure if this was The DOE in the state of Florida rule or the County School Board rule. Per a lot of local Pre-K teachers in my area, the reason for the halt in testing preK children was because the children that were in private PreK programs were scoring better than the public school PreK.
There is this constant battle between private Prek programs and Public School Prek Programs. Many Daycare owners that have a PreK in their facility are upset with the Public schools because they are trying to push PreK out of the daycare centers. Many believe that this is due to money issues such as the state funding that is received once a school or daycare is granted to open a PreK [/font]
Testing was a method used on Pre K children as a way for the state or county to rule out what entity should keep a Pre-Kindergarten program. Daycare providers believe that the state realized that the schools were the cause of the low scores and cut the testing out altogether because the state is leaning towards public schools rather than daycare operating a Pre K.
I am not sure where to stand on this issue. From my experience and research, Schools tend to lump elementary education and early childhood education together. The two are vastly different. Early Childhood Education is the foundation of a child's learning. Their minds are molded from Early Childhood educators before they reach Public School. Elementary Ed is to build on the ECE foundation.
Standardized testing should not be administered at any age due to the biases surrounding many standardized testing. I was appalled when I found out that Pre-K children were getting tested just for the state and county to figure out what entity should keep a Pre-Kindergarten program. It is already barbaric in nature to even have k-2 graders groomed to take tests.
I just do not get it! Teachers must make differentiated curriculum or lesson Plans, but all children are required to pass the same format of standardized tests!?
I went to school in the state of Florida and was required to pass the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) To make matters worse, the school I went to tracked students based on their score on this pathetic Standardized test.
When I taught Pre-Kindergarten in GA, I did feel as if the state needed better regulation on who they would award grant money to. Many of the childcare centers in Georgia are receiving grant money and quality rated points even when they are not up to par with state rules or regulations and incoherent with educating pre-K children. I know from experience that many of the daycare owners in the area I taught at were money hungry. Even though standardize testing at a young age is barbaric, I felt as if GA should make a rule where Pre-K children were tested and if they scored low Daycare Owners would be held accountable. That would weed out all the money hungry owners.
I don't have a positive or negative opinion on it either way.
I scored 99/98 on a California state standardized test when I was in 3rd grade in 1992. So, the local school district plucked me out of my neighborhood school, and bused me to a gifted and talented class at another school for the following 3 years.
My neighborhood school was one of the poorest in the district; I don't think that I had been "taught to the test", I think I came into school "advanced", because my mother had worked with me on reading/math in my pre-school years. I only attended preschool for a couple of months at the age of 4.
The tests should be only used to see where students are at, and to find out where resources need to be better allocated.
I don't feel that there is a huge "gap" between preschool and kindergarten, and testing kids that young IMO is unnecessary.
I don't have a positive or negative opinion on it either way.
I scored 99/98 on a California state standardized test when I was in 3rd grade in 1992. So, the local school district plucked me out of my neighborhood school, and bused me to a gifted and talented class at another school for the following 3 years.
My neighborhood school was one of the poorest in the district; I don't think that I had been "taught to the test", I think I came into school "advanced", because my mother had worked with me on reading/math in my pre-school years. I only attended preschool for a couple of months at the age of 4.
The tests should be only used to see where students are at, and to find out where resources need to be better allocated.
I don't feel that there is a huge "gap" between preschool and kindergarten, and testing kids that young IMO is unnecessary.
I scored well in Reading on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment test so I was placed in a Gifted or Ap (Advanced Placement) English or Reading class. My math classes in grade school were all remedial. I felt as if some districts and it especially the one I went that I attended school at use standarized test as a tool to racially divide students. I was to only person of color in my advance classes and most of my remedial classes were of People of color
Standardized tests are just one tool in assessment, no more no less. There are neither evil nor a savior.
The problem becomes when the standardized test is used to as THE assessment for both students achievement and teacher effectiveness.
Exactly! The FCAT was used for Teacher Accountability and Student Placement. I was told I couldnt be placed in college prep not was I college material because of my scores. My district use standarized testing as way to cut student achievement for higher ed.
In New York State, all children entering a public school kindergarten must be screened within 45 days of admission. It's a law. It is used to determine if the child needs further testing and possible special education services. The same law applies to all children entering a public school pre-kindergarten.
Accountability was put in place during the NCLB act. I am not sure why teachers should be held accountable over standardized testing that have been shown to bias countless of times.
Last edited by toobusytoday; 11-29-2016 at 08:54 PM..
Reason: removed orphaned comment, fixed typo
In New York State, all children entering a public school kindergarten must be screened within 45 days of admission. It's a law. It is used to determine if the child needs further testing and possible special education services. The same law applies to all children entering a public school pre-kindergarten.
Screening is different from standarized testing. I agree with screening and feel like screening should take place in all grade levels.
In Ga, I had a total of 22 students. Out of 22 students, there were a total of 10 with learning deficiencies. They scored so low on the diagnostic assessment that I thought maybe they were not of PreK age. I begged the director to call a person to screen them, but she was too caught up in money. It is nearing the second school term and those kids are still learning concepts from August.
Wow. Nice try. Accountability was put in place during the NCLB act. I am not sure why teachers should be held accountable over standarized testing that have been shown to bias countless of times.
No, teachers like you, in terms of lack of ability to write correctly, or for example cannot spell the word "standardized" in repeated posts, who do the awful things you did at your last job, and so on, deeply undermine the public's faith in teachers across the country. Don't worry, there are unfortunately, many teachers like you. When that faith in the teacher's abilities is so badly damaged, than it is easier to pass so called "accountability" standards like NCLB regardless of their particular merits.
For the rest of us, please, use spell check if you cannot spell on your own. Or stop presenting yourself as a teacher in a public forum where you inherently represent the entire profession.
And what do you mean by the bolded? Do you mean standardized tests are biased? Do you mean the results are biased? Do you mean the results cause others to be biased towards children? Which is it? This is why we keep telling you being able to communicate clearly matters.
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