assessment

I have been most critical of CA's high stakes testing and accountability system . At this point in time the alignment of testing, texts, training and statewide standards is finally beginning to come together. But we have all learned a great deal about the over-emphasis or reliance on one single test to determine the status of our schools and the very real needs of our students. For tests to have meaning they must measure what is being taught. Unfortunately we have discovered that many schools feel pressure to focus the curriculum to the test.  The students  and their needs should be driving the curriculum! That is why teachers need a variety of teaching materials to reach all students. Texts aligned with our standards are wonderful but the state should also be supporting the purchase of supplemental teaching materials selected by districts to enhance learning. In addition schools should be encouraged to create their own proficiency tests to reflect their curriculum and these results should be published in the local papers along with the state testing results.  I am not necessarily encouraging more testing, just suggesting tests that actually serve as real tools for teachers and parents to evaulate the performance of students and guide instruction. 

While state administered achievement tests measure performance, they tend to have little value for instruction.