Re: [Phys-l] High stakes testing (Was:What's the point of teaching to the testwhen it's questions are incorrect?)

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

One method, if my thinking is correct, to have "both worlds" is to  
test all schools for a few years then the "top" 90% are tested only  
once every, say, five years.  The bottom 10 are tested until they  
pass the 10% std.  Those bottom schools get special attention*, e.g.  
more money for tutors and mentors for the teachers, after school  
programs, social workers for the homes, etc. You know;  all that left  
wing stuff.


* Not punished as is done in California now.

bc  thinks the tests should be made by a group of teachers, business  
people who are going to hire the students and the post HS ed.  
institution instructors, NOT ETS.

Note business support community colleges, because this is cheaper  
than on the job training -- I'll grant "being good citizens" also.

And, Thatcher was Minister of ED. before becoming PM,  I'll be she  
instituted that disastrous testing programme


On 2009, Mar 20, , at 11:56, Joseph Bellina wrote:

> On the other hand, I know there are seriously sub-par schools, where
> there is little motivation to change.  It seems to me in these
> extreme cases, there is a reason for testing, as a way to attack the
> bottom.