how do u all feel about standardized tests as well as a mandatory national standarized tests? should these scores determine if a child go to the next grade? i agree with chicago public schools focus on k,3,6,8 these are the key target grades of a child's development. even better i think more emphasizes should be placed on preschool education as well b/c the ages 0-5 are most critical in a child's development. but my problem with standardized tests, beyond the fact that they weren't made for or by us, is that there has been a reported number of cases here in chicago where the child gets A's,B's,C's on their progress report but because they do not do well on the standarized test they are forced to go to summer school and possibly repeat the same grade. at that point i think that the classroom environment and teaching methodology needs to be assessed. actually, there are so many reasons why kids don't do well on standardized tests and the cure isn't to simply fail the child. these band-aids that school systems use are counter-productive. so the kid fails what do u do to prevent them from failing again. i remember when i was in high school and the administrators would come into the 'gifted and talented' classrooms telling us that the school is depending on us to do well on our standarized tests b/c we were the 'creme of the crop', i use to laugh b/c how in the heck they gonna put pressure on this small percentage of students to do well on the test so that our school wouldn't be closed, that was some bullshit. another concern i have with these tests is that are teachers properly trained to prepare students to take these tests. it isn't as simple as making sure u include all subjects in the curriculum but their are test taking skills that need to be taught. i seriously think that teacher education programs in colleges/universities need to reassessed. --------sig----------- IF U WANNA BE PUT ON THE CHI.ACTIVIST E-MAIL LIST, OR IF U WANNA HELP AT THE 10/23 CONCERT EMAIL chicagoactivist@africana.com --------------------- Monthly Book Discussion in OkayActivist Sept. 19 "Move Over Girl" Brian Peterson Oct. 16 "Yo Mama's Dysfunktional" Robin Kelley Nov. 13 "Coldest Winter Ever" Sister Souljah GET YO READ ON ......... nappiness is next to Godliness!!!!!! ms. nappiness ---------- http://www.geocities.com/okay_poets/begin.html
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