Diagnostic Testing; 3 Million Dollars
The Journal reports that the NM PED is seeking $3M from the
legislature to revamp high school testing state wide. (link)
"It needs it. Because students deserve tests that assess and
prepare, rather than distress and scare them, their parents,
teachers and taxpayers."
Two problems. the first; tests assess, they don't prepare.
A thousand tests won't prepare a student to do anything, except
perhaps to take more tests.
Second and more importantly; the identification of a student's
particular weaknesses has no direct correlation to their remediation.
The system is not designed to meet a student's individual needs; no
matter how accurately they are quantified.
The system is designed to meet the needs of thirty students sitting in
six rows of five; or perhaps five rows of six.
Diagnostic testing in the absence of follow up with meaningful
individual interventions, is like a doctor doing a blood test to
identify the agent of an infection, knowing full well that s/he has
has no antibiotics to treat the infection once it is identified.
No comments:
Post a Comment