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I apologize for the snark, but that has not been my experience at all. Before NCLB, we tested 11th grade students every fall. After NCLB, in addition to doing this, we now lose 2 days of instruction testing 9th and 10th grade students; once in the spring and once in tha fall. In addition, every 2 weeks classes are shortened to half-days so teachers have more time to "collaborate" about strategies to improve test scores. Some elementary students take half-days every Wednesday.
I'm not smart enough to figure out how missing all of this instructional time is helping student achievement. But it takes away from the time needed for intense instruction like in the AP Statistics class I teach.
In addition to all this class time missed for extra testing and "collaboration time", we have "improvement plans" and "teaching strategy sessions" which must be documented in detail and have not impacted my teaching in a positive way whatsoever. And it's probably impacted my teaching in a negative way, because there's much less time during the day to work on preparation for actual teaching with the documentation we have to do because of these things.
All of these changes came in the aftermath of NCLB. I don't know one teacher in my school who thinks they're a positive change.
I have to agree with you, NCLB had a profound impact on teaching. We used to teach the curriculum, but now all of our efforts are geared toward this test. Our teachers don't see this as a positive change either.
Just thinking about this. I went to top performing public schools in a major city in the seventies and eighties. I don't, from a child's perspective atleast, recall any talk or prep for the Iowa Tests at all!! We just took the test. It was announced maybe once in the beginning of the school year. The majority did very well.
When did the standardized tests actually become, "a thing"? Late eighties would you say? And my goodness, what did we all ever do before the days of test scores in newspapers?
No Child Left Behind legislation is one reason. Here in California, our schools in the inner city and lower socio economic areas' scores were in the toilet, when they started that Academic Performance Index or API model. My school in 1999 was in the 500s, we will probably break 800 this year or next in API score. We have come a long way, and our kids are much smarter. I just feel bad that we have to teach them skills that many are still not ready for, and with now half of my class having to score proficient next year, we will see how many will hit that mark state wide.
Standardized tests? Too Funny! Standardized tests won't help you much when it comes to graduate school, especially medical or dental schools. Heck you can score somewhat average on your entrance exam and still get in and trust me when I tell you those standardized tests don't reflect how you'll do in school either. I've seen the smartest people come in and do well on their exams, but close the book and put a patient in front of them and I swear it's like they turned on the dumb switch! Instructors and professors in dental and medical schools are real quick to tell you that they don't care what you scored on your entry exam because it's all about work and if you don't have the work ethic you'll eventually fail, trust me I've seen it first hand. So get ahead, go to barnes and nobles and purchase those study guides, get crackin on those questions and study hard, just remember, you'll eventually be asked to close the book and do actual work.
Standardized tests? Too Funny! Standardized tests won't help you much when it comes to graduate school, especially medical or dental schools. Heck you can score somewhat average on your entrance exam and still get in and trust me when I tell you those standardized tests don't reflect how you'll do in school either. I've seen the smartest people come in and do well on their exams, but close the book and put a patient in front of them and I swear it's like they turned on the dumb switch! Instructors and professors in dental and medical schools are real quick to tell you that they don't care what you scored on your entry exam because it's all about work and if you don't have the work ethic you'll eventually fail, trust me I've seen it first hand. So get ahead, go to barnes and nobles and purchase those study guides, get crackin on those questions and study hard, just remember, you'll eventually be asked to close the book and do actual work.
Agreed . I've just recently had to teach one of the "smartest" employee's I know how to operate the new telephone system they just installed at work.
Just thinking about this. I went to top performing public schools in a major city in the seventies and eighties. I don't, from a child's perspective atleast, recall any talk or prep for the Iowa Tests at all!! We just took the test. It was announced maybe once in the beginning of the school year. The majority did very well.
When did the standardized tests actually become, "a thing"? Late eighties would you say? And my goodness, what did we all ever do before the days of test scores in newspapers?
This all started when acceptance of the idea some students were born dumb, lazy and stupid became unacceptable. The reason Johnny was failing couldn't be because he's an unmanageable idiot so it has to be someone else's fault!
Let's find out whose fault it is because it certainly couldn't be Johnny's parents who could care less about Johnny's performance.
I went to school in the 50's and our heroes were scientists and astronauts. In high school the coolest thing we had was a bamboo slide rule. We took Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Trigonometry. There wasn't any remedial math that I remember. These went well with science which was General Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. In my high school they even had a Chemistry II for the smart ones.
Our heroes of the day made all the difference. Who better to emulate, a NASA astronaut with a PhD in physics or Snoop Dog?
The worst trouble you could get into was chewing gum or getting caught passing a note for which the teacher read it out loud to the rest of the class.
And the teachers had radar eyes for chewing gum. I got caught every time I tried it.
I went to school in the 50's and our heroes were scientists and astronauts. In high school the coolest thing we had was a bamboo slide rule. We took Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Trigonometry. There wasn't any remedial math that I remember. These went well with science which was General Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. In my high school they even had a Chemistry II for the smart ones.
One big difference is that everybody wasn't required to take those classes. When I was in school in the 60s, you only had to take 1 year of math and Algebra wasn't required. You can accomplish a lot more in a class if the students want to be there and have the background to be successful, rather than being given a group of students who have to be there and where many of them don't have the background....then, of course, it's the teacher's fault if they don't succeed.
We've got all those subjects in the school where I teach and more. I teach an AP Statistics class to 90 students each year that never would have been offered back then.
In some states, standardized tests are required for homeschool students. Here in Colorado, it's every two years beginning in third grade. If the child's test score falls below the 30th percentile, the state requires placement in public, independent, or parochial school until the next testing period.
In some states, standardized tests are required for homeschool students. Here in Colorado, it's every two years beginning in third grade. If the child's test score falls below the 30th percentile, the state requires placement in public, independent, or parochial school until the next testing period.
They aren't required here at all. It's necessary to prove progress, but none of the standardized tests are required for homeschooled kids.
One big difference is that everybody wasn't required to take those classes. When I was in school in the 60s, you only had to take 1 year of math and Algebra wasn't required.
Good point. But then again back in the sixties, everyone didn't have to be a math person or a science person. Now you almost have to be to take the higher level math classes and do well. The sixties H.S. student could take the 1 year of math, graduate from H.S. or not, and still get an acceptable wage earning job that would support a family.
Those days are long gone unfortunately. Not everyone is cut from the same academic cloth, not everyone wants to go to college. There are way fewer alternatives to life w/o college that don't involve a lower income way of life with a slim chance of earning middle class, family supporting wages.
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. I've just recently had to teach one of the "smartest" employee's I know how to operate the new telephone system they just installed at work. 
