Eliminating Exams…..
Would you fly on a plane if you knew the pilot did not pass
the flight exam?
Would you allow a surgeon to operate on you if the surgeon
did not pass their medical exam?
NO.
And, for this reason alone, throwing out exams (or dictating
their worth and/or quantity) due to a backlash of time spent on administering
the PARCC tests does not justify ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’.
Why? (2 reasons)
1 1. Testing
is to ensure understanding, retention, build confidence, manage time and
expectations, improve study skills, extract group study habits, and ‘prepare’
for failing, just to name a few life skills that are critical for success. These skills are taught while taking ‘tests’
(quizzes or exams), not when you eliminate them.
Every day presents ‘tests’…from learning
right from wrong, to making the ‘big’ work presentation, to the ‘new’ sport we take
on. Any of these important learning experiences prepares one for life….well
beyond the classroom.
2. Teachers are smart:
We educate and hire the best teachers and now we want to dictate if they give
tests and if they do, how many and how they will be graded/valued. This is a clear sign of suffocating out
teachers with nonsensical rules, regulations, and requirements. When do our kids’ teachers get to use their
education and experience? Why not hire robots? Each teacher must be provided the
proper tools, content, and goals – but in no way should we (parents/MCPS/State)
dictate how and when they deliver, utilize, and expose these tests to our
children. Customizing to the classroom
needs and topic must not be eliminated! English teachers might want quizzes per book
while science teachers might want a mid and final exam due to accumulative
knowledge learning. All topics and
classrooms are different…and dictating one system is a flawed idea. If you believe the commercially driven PARCC
test is bringing this issue to light, then lobby the State, don’t micromanage
our teachers.
It is time MCPS stops
this madness! (Montgomery County Public Schools "MCPS")
Parents need to make their opinions known since MCPS’ recent
decisions are making our kids their Guinea Pigs:
1. Students
are the Guinea Pigs for Google and
Pearson when MCPS rolled out chrome notebooks with a lack of sustaining funds
and a vision of ‘what success looks like’ by adding this new teaching tool.
2. Students
are Guinea Pigs when MCPS changed the
start times for the entire county.
3. Students
are Guinea Pigs when the State and
MCPS rolls out a commercial version of the assessment testing without piloting
and teaching students how to type (since typing skills are critical for an
online test)
4. Students
are Guinea Pigs when MCPS wants to
eliminate or micromanage the exams within the classroom, without regard to the
teacher and subject matter.
Stop the madness!
MCPS has put forth four
options in response to the ‘get-rid-of-test’ lobbying. Take two minutes and make a difference before OCTOBER 19!
Posting September 18
, 2015
Many of you have
commented and followed the PARCC testing issue over the past year, nationwide.
As a result, a group of Montgomery County parents lobbied the Board of Ed
last year to take a look at final exams and perhaps eliminate them, primary b/c
of the time dedicated to the PARCC testing. Consequently, a group of
parents, staff, and community reps have been tasked with the job of looking
into testing in middle and high school.....which is just around the corner for
us!
As some background,
which is not easily condensed, final grades in some classes of middle school
students need a final exam in order to get credit in HS for the class.
These exams are 1-2 hours.
On a related note, how
schools/MCPS weighs the exam seems to be worth noting. Today, the final
grade is not the result of the 4 quarters, averaging them out. Instead,
in some cases, the 2nd marking period might be weighed more or the final might
be given a % like 25% of the total grade.
Some discussions are
focused on replacing exams with projects, nixing the final exam weight, and a
new formula to include the final exam.
While you might not
have time to participate at your school as much as you would like, here is an
opportunity to help your child - who is headed to middle school shortly, right
from your desk. Take this brief survey BEFORE the Board of Ed makes 'A
DECISION' that will directly impact your child.
The survey link: http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/policy-feedback.aspx.
DEADLINE FOR Online
Feedback – October 19, 2015
Board of Education
Action – November 10, 2015
It's a scientific breakthrough in teaching: Learning by Osmosis.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow, Thursday, Oct 01 2015 • 1:32 p.m. (ET): “Montgomery County Drops High School Final Exam” is the topic of The Kojo Nnamdi Show (WAMU 88.5). Scott Murphy Director, Department of Secondary Curriculum and Districtwide Programs, Montgomery County Public Schools, will be Kojo’s guest, to discuss the topic and take listener’s questions by phone, e-mail, Facebook, or tweet.
ReplyDelete