Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Teaching to the test



Hugh Haskell wrote (at the end):

... This is the climate we create when we start using
grades on these standardized tests to evaluate teaching
and school performance. As long as politicians demand
some kind of immediate feedback on school performance
we are headed for this sort of problems. ...

So what is the alternative? To make sure that teachers are
highly qualified. And to give them the freedom of choice
of what to skip and what to cover using an approved text
as a guidance. More or less as at the university level.

This will not happen at once but a national 10-years plan,
for example, can be developed to achieve the goal. Could
the AAPT be asked to lead in that direction?

But even at the university level competent teachers are
often not very successful. Something else, beside qualified
teachers, is needed. What is it? I think Don Simanek once
tried to identify factors working against teaching successes.
I would very much like to hear from him again. Where are
you Don? Some of us miss you here.
Ludwik Kowalski