Comments on: Test Prep Questions http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:03:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: BlogWalker » Blog Archive » High Stakes Testing - California 2nd Graders Get a Break http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-33708 BlogWalker » Blog Archive » High Stakes Testing - California 2nd Graders Get a Break Sat, 05 May 2007 20:35:20 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-33708 [...] been thinking about common-sense approaches to testing and test prep ever since reading Doug Noon’s March 30 Borderland post. Doug refers to Lucy Calkins’ A Teacher’s Guide to Standardized Reading Tests and [...] [...] been thinking about common-sense approaches to testing and test prep ever since reading Doug Noon’s March 30 Borderland post. Doug refers to Lucy Calkins’ A Teacher’s Guide to Standardized Reading Tests and [...]

]]> By: Artichoke http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30353 Artichoke Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:53:15 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30353 Comparison thinking is quite a jump from remembering but it also requires that you have enough stuff to do the comparison with. And you are never going to be able to create something new or determine what is best unless you can do comparison thinking. So I reckon it is worthy activity to teach young kids how to do it well - regardless of any test expectation One of our ict_pd clusters is looking at "Students as researchers" and we use visual maps along with SOLO coded self assessment rubrics to represent the different types of thinking kids need across different learning outcomes - including comparison/ generalisation/ prediction etc (that SOLO stuff again Doug) - We now have five and six year olds doing great comparisons in the cluster schools - In the right context (and when we are not trying to trick them) it is fun to identify relevant similarities and relevant differences and make generalisations. Wish I could show you their work on bees vs wasps and cats vs dogs Comparison thinking is quite a jump from remembering but it also requires that you have enough stuff to do the comparison with.

And you are never going to be able to create something new or determine what is best unless you can do comparison thinking. So I reckon it is worthy activity to teach young kids how to do it well - regardless of any test expectation

One of our ict_pd clusters is looking at “Students as researchers” and we use visual maps along with SOLO coded self assessment rubrics to represent the different types of thinking kids need across different learning outcomes - including comparison/ generalisation/ prediction etc (that SOLO stuff again Doug) -

We now have five and six year olds doing great comparisons in the cluster schools - In the right context (and when we are not trying to trick them) it is fun to identify relevant similarities and relevant differences and make generalisations. Wish I could show you their work on bees vs wasps and cats vs dogs

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30263 Doug Noon Mon, 02 Apr 2007 00:06:29 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30263 Hi QueenAnnLace, Seeing my name in a legal brief vs the state of Alaska seemed like it might be an April Fool joke. But, no.... I hadn't heard of this one. A Google search turned up an <a href="www.cep-dc.org/pubs/Forum14September2004/McLaughlinPaper.doc" rel="nofollow">article citing the case</a>. It said that <em>The chief conceptual issue is the tension between the concept of an “individualized” education, which is the core legal entitlement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and determined by the IEP team and the universal content and achievement standards that are at the foundation of NCLB</em>, nicely summarizing most of the difficulty of using a one-size-fits-all standardized approach to education. The article didn't say that the student won, though. The case was settled out of court, with the State agreeing to expand accommodations for students with disabilities, and to provide alternative tests for high school graduation. As you point out, there's still a lot of hurt to go around. I don't know any other Noon's around here. No connection to me, that one. As for parents who might want to take action, the law requires 95% participation. It wouldn't take very many folks to stir things up. Hi QueenAnnLace,
Seeing my name in a legal brief vs the state of Alaska seemed like it might be an April Fool joke. But, no…. I hadn’t heard of this one. A Google search turned up an article citing the case. It said that The chief conceptual issue is the tension between the concept of an “individualized” education, which is the core legal entitlement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and determined by the IEP team and the universal content and achievement standards that are at the foundation of NCLB, nicely summarizing most of the difficulty of using a one-size-fits-all standardized approach to education. The article didn’t say that the student won, though. The case was settled out of court, with the State agreeing to expand accommodations for students with disabilities, and to provide alternative tests for high school graduation. As you point out, there’s still a lot of hurt to go around. I don’t know any other Noon’s around here. No connection to me, that one.

As for parents who might want to take action, the law requires 95% participation. It wouldn’t take very many folks to stir things up.

]]> By: QueenAnneLace http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30245 QueenAnneLace Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:36:38 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30245 Doug, I just loved the fact you posted the Bill of Rights for Test Takers. I think the only way educators will be taken seriously if parents like EM staged a 'Test Out'. I would love to know about how many adults thought their education was short-changed because they did not take a state mandated test or spent three weeks or more in test prepping. I know that I did not. In fact, I only experience to 'test prepping' was taking the PSAT as a 10th grader in 1981. I graduated from high school in 1983 and went on to college without passing a state mandated test. I hate to think of the money spent on mandating tests - all the scholarships that could be given. Its no wonder the government is curbing the Pell Grants, etc. because of the money spent on testing and the recent legal battles over them. In your state, we have the famous Noon vs. Alaska State Board of Education in which special education students were denied their accommodations on the state mandated test. The students won but at such a cost of time. One of the students in this class action case, was already accepted by the US Army prior to graduation but the student could not pass the past the test without his accommodation and was tested on material that was never taught to him. While the students did win, this young man and to wait all summer before starting his career. Doug, I just loved the fact you posted the Bill of Rights for Test Takers. I think the only way educators will be taken seriously if parents like EM staged a ‘Test Out’. I would love to know about how many adults thought their education was short-changed because they did not take a state mandated test or spent three weeks or more in test prepping. I know that I did not. In fact, I only experience to ‘test prepping’ was taking the PSAT as a 10th grader in 1981. I graduated from high school in 1983 and went on to college without passing a state mandated test. I hate to think of the money spent on mandating tests - all the scholarships that could be given. Its no wonder the government is curbing the Pell Grants, etc. because of the money spent on testing and the recent legal battles over them.

In your state, we have the famous Noon vs. Alaska State Board of Education in which special education students were denied their accommodations on the state mandated test. The students won but at such a cost of time. One of the students in this class action case, was already accepted by the US Army prior to graduation but the student could not pass the past the test without his accommodation and was tested on material that was never taught to him. While the students did win, this young man and to wait all summer before starting his career.

]]> By: Em http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30148 Em Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:19:20 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/03/30/test-prep-questions/#comment-30148 Doug, your writing never fails to get me thinking. I've recommended your blog to every teacher at my school - though most of them still aren't sure what blogs are. As a parent, I don't like all the tests my kids take. The time prepping for the test, teaching to the test, and taking the test...it seems could be better used just teaching the curriculum. More time for exploring and discussing and creating. But the government doesn't seem to trust schools. And they have no other method of making us jump through hoops than to test the kids over and over. To see how the kids are doing? Or to see how the schools are doing? Either seems misguided. Doug, your writing never fails to get me thinking. I’ve recommended your blog to every teacher at my school - though most of them still aren’t sure what blogs are.

As a parent, I don’t like all the tests my kids take. The time prepping for the test, teaching to the test, and taking the test…it seems could be better used just teaching the curriculum. More time for exploring and discussing and creating. But the government doesn’t seem to trust schools. And they have no other method of making us jump through hoops than to test the kids over and over. To see how the kids are doing? Or to see how the schools are doing? Either seems misguided.

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