Re: question

[Teresa Saum <teresak@PRAIRIE.LAKES.COM>]

I think it's a Praxis exam...pre-professional skills test or something like
that.

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From: George Cunningham <gkc@LOUISVILLE.EDU>
To: ARN-L@listsrva.CUA.EDU
Subject: Re: question
Date: Sun, Mar 11, 2001, 10:52 AM


Teresa,

What is the PPST?

George K. Cunningham
University of Louisville
-----Original Message-----
From: Assessment Reform Network Mailing List [mailto:ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU]On
Behalf Of Teresa Saum
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 11:36 AM
To: ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU
Subject: question

A friend of mine sent this question this morning. I though someone here
might have an answer for her.
She is a teacher of social studies methods at a local private college, a
wonderful teacher with a broad view of the world and of learning. It's
discouraging and that she feels this way.



Is there any research that you know of on what DOESN'T get taught when
teachers teach to the test? I know we can guess at it, or share what we
ourselves have passed over doing because of the need to prepare kids for
tests. I wonder how far all of this will go--the testing, I mean. Will we
eventually be testing kids in art, music, etc., to meet state or national
standards? And then what??

And it isn't any different at the college level. Education students have to
take the PPST and meet Board of Teaching standards already, and after this
year (I think), they will be taking a pedagogy test as well. I can't even
begin to imagine how that will change some of the courses in education
departments. It will scare off a lot of students, too. I am beginning to
wonder why anyone would even want to go into education anymore. Seems like
between the testing it takes to get out of an education program successfully
and the narrow scope of what they will eventually get to teach in elementary
and secondary schools because of mandated testing and accountability
measures, teacher ed. students would be smart to become business majors.