Re: Testing Myths

[aburke5054@aol.com]

All you are doing is setting up a bunch of straw men.  This list could 
only be generated by someone with a hopelessly schematized view of the 
educational world.  The truth is that today's testing is supposed to be 
a vehicle for improving schools and it would be a more effective 
vehicle if there were not so much opposition from within schools to 
making changes that need to be made.

Art


-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Majoy <pwmjoy@earthlink.net>
To: arn-l <arn-l@interversity.org>
Sent: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 6:03 am
Subject: [arn-l] Testing Myths


On a number of occasions, lists of testing myths have been posted. I 
wish those
myths would be re-posted. Here is my own home-grown list after over 40 
years
teaching and still at it: (1) Myth  One--Testing leads to reform of 
education;
(2) Myth Two--Testing shows how much we care about the poor, drop-outs, 
the
unmotivated, and under-achievers; (3) Myth Three--Testing helps 
teachers know
what they have to do  in order to become better teachers; (4) Myth
Four---Testing is an important tool by which to communicate to parents 
and the
local community just how well their school is doing; (5) Myth 
Five---Testing is
a-political; (6) Myth Six---Testing relies on objectivity; (7)Myth
Seven---Testing advocates care more about students than testing 
opponents; (8)
Myth Eight---Testing must not be polluted by information about 
per-pupil
expenditures and socio-economic conditions including poverty, racism, 
crime, and
house-hold conditions; (9) Myth Nine---Testing assures us that we know 
our
  students better than we would without the testing; (10) Myth 
Ten----Testing is
a means to an end.

Of  the ten troubling and tragic myths I have listed here (I could list 
many
more), the one which unlocks the door to the remaining nine is the 
tenth myth,
"Testing is a means to an end." From my perspective, testing has become 
an end
in itself.  It is a signature item of identification among many 
politicians,
educators, and taxation opponents as well as members of the public who 
have been
manipulated. It is a major economic boon to quite a few corporations 
who know
diddly-squat about education.  It is also the nesting ground for many  
so-called
educators who should have chosen another career.




Peter Majoy
pwmjoy@earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to 
EarthLink.-------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe ARN-L:
http://interversity.org/lists/arn-l/subscribe.html






________________________________________________________________________
Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - 
http://mail.aol.com