Wednesday, April 15, 2015

NY TESTING HORROR STORIES
ELA TESTS - DAY 2

THANK YOU TO LONG ISLAND OPT OUT FOR SHARING AND ALLOWING BATs to PUBLISH AND GET THE WORD OUT.  



You can join LIOO here  https://www.facebook.com/groups/Longislandoptout/
You can get NY test refusal information here at NYSAPE  http://www.nysape.org/
You can get National test refusal information here at United Opt Out   http://unitedoptout.com/

Today's third grade ELA had passages from Drag Racer. Grade level 5.9 and interest level 9-12th grade.


The second reading in 6th grade exam given today was titled A Master Teacher by Helen Bledsoe. It was a story about Confucius and how he was credited with the exam system in China.
Printed in bold letters on the second page was: Let exams do the ranking
It spoke about how people had to take exams and how those that did well received positions in government based on the results.
We were appalled and angry that this found its was onto the exams today. To us it spoke to how little NYSED and Pearson care about parent wishes, students and the testing climate and quietly "attacked" it yet again.


Today's 4th grade assessment had a passage from "The Clay Marble" from Mingfo Ho. Jeanette Deutermann googled it. Here's the grade level:


Grade 7: Excerpt from Under the Lilacs by Alcott. Published in 1878. Included 10 footnoted vocabulary, some with 2 in one sentence. It also included "old" English such as "recognising", "humourous" and "attind". There was also Gaelic dialogue mixed in with the vocabulary to really add to students' confusion. It was extremely difficult overall and most did not finish on time.


3rd grade test. 3 passages. 7 mc, 3 short response paragraphs. I extended response which is an essay. First passage why do animals play. Fair and mc was ok. Second passage about a girl coming over from China separated from her parents etx. Questions required time and thinking. Higher level. Third passage about drag racing short response was really tough kids god stuck and many siding get to finish test and last question which was ok. Not enough time and many tears again. I feel like an imbecile. Quote from smart student.

A third grade story was called Honeysuckle House- grade equivalent 4 age level interest 11-15! Short answer Questions were inferential and way over the head of the majority of kids



2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this very important information which needs to GET OUT THERE!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Design flaws *and* bias (agitprop passage) invalidate results

    ReplyDelete

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