tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post4467901232744132704..comments2024-03-28T11:57:21.902-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: Is There a Good Standardized Test?Peter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-6551028854748497362015-06-22T00:35:22.369-04:002015-06-22T00:35:22.369-04:00"The theory is that Comma Use can be deployed..."The theory is that Comma Use can be deployed, like a strike force of Marines," says a person who has obviously never deployed any Marines and doesn't know how hard it can be. <br /><br />Thanks for every grumpy old word you write.Snavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00791842506865658394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-88829850207232401802015-05-24T00:07:02.772-04:002015-05-24T00:07:02.772-04:00If you've ever watched a kinder or 1st grader ...If you've ever watched a kinder or 1st grader use a mouse, you'll get why many computerized tests are GIGO (garbage in / garbage out). I've watched them select an answer and by the time they manage to steer the cursor over to the Done button (clicking as they go) they don't notice how they've already changed their answers several times by the time they finally hit submit. Even when the tests read some of the questions and answer choices to them, they don't listen - they click on the first choice that has anything in it that looks familiar. So after this big waste of time generating invalid data for the district/state, I have to assess them all individually in person to find out what they really do or don't know so we can plan instruction.Boulder Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04645189908982806482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-45637152050776760782015-05-23T13:14:33.300-04:002015-05-23T13:14:33.300-04:00One of your best! We used an ACT product (I forget...One of your best! We used an ACT product (I forget which one) at my open-admissions liberal arts college to assign students to developmental reading and comp classes, and they were OK for the purpose, but we also allowed instructors to reassign kids who were obviously ready for English 111 during the first week or two of the semester. That was for very basic skills, though. Anybody who thinks PARCC, etc., can measure critical thinking, uh, needs to re-examine their critical thinking skills.Peter Ellertsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03433867798876906483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-34541519415131309672015-05-23T13:13:38.765-04:002015-05-23T13:13:38.765-04:00One of your best! We used an ACT product (I forget...One of your best! We used an ACT product (I forget which one) at my open-admissions liberal arts college to assign students to developmental reading and comp classes, and they were OK for the purpose, but we also allowed instructors to reassign kids who were obviously ready for English 111 during the first week or two of the semester. That was for very basic skills, though. Anybody who thinks PARCC, etc., can measure critical thinking, uh, needs to re-examine their critical thinking skills.Peter Ellertsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03433867798876906483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-18043507565506584062015-05-23T12:13:23.245-04:002015-05-23T12:13:23.245-04:00Standardized math tests provide NO useful informat...Standardized math tests provide NO useful information to teachers. Without seeing the kids' thought processes (as you cannot with a standardized tests, and no, not on the "drop and drag" SBAC tests either), you learn NOTHING. You cannot tell whether they made a simple error "accidentally losing a negative sign", or two simple errors that cancel each other out (this happens more often than you would think, actually), or multiplying a simple problem inaccurately (a problem which rears its head even with math teachers and EVERYONE no matter how smart, experienced...), or if they truly have NO IDEA how to solve the problem, but can rule a few answers out for other reasons and are good or lucky guessers....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13115992679153894545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-11779336251835227192015-05-23T10:32:13.412-04:002015-05-23T10:32:13.412-04:00Special Education teachers and reading specialists...Special Education teachers and reading specialists use sort-of "standardized" tests that are actually fairly helpful in diagnosing certain impediments in a students' decoding or comprehension skills, but they are time-consuming and must be administered to one student at a time.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01638646078223591586noreply@blogger.com