Testiness Over Test Scores
May 25, 2008
The furor over the abysmal scores of Georgia students is misdirected. Most blame the test (thereby blaming the messenger), then blame the system. Yet even the “improved” test is woefully unchallenging, and Georgia students perform badly on more objective tests like the NAEP.
Teachers and administrators join the chorus since doing so takes them off the hook. Yet they either actively support, or passively acquiesce in, the system. They should not be taken off the hook. Indeed, many should be given the hook.
Worst are the parents who complain because their children who have earned As and Bs have failed the test. They rather should complain that their children have been given As and Bs that they did not deserve in the first place.
This circle of recriminations simply allows the status quo to proceed unchecked except for calls to make modifications that will eviscerate our educational system even more.
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