Moratorium on Standardized Testing
“Asked what he would do if he had the power to make one change to improve teaching, he said he would find more time for teachers to collaborate with each other. And he said that all of the emphasis on innovation in the classroom is well and good, but it doesn’t address the fact that 22 percent of the country’s children live in poverty and that the effects of that affect student achievement.”
When I first heard the term moratorium I was in a ninth grade geography class. We were discussing fishing and drilling and oil. This article on putting a moratorium on standardized testing is interesting. I agree with one point for sure: stop standardized testing. Another point that I also feel strongly about is using standardized test scores as a means of evaluating teacher performance, especially as a teacher of students with special needs. It doesn’t make sense.
I don’t know where this moratorium will lead, but it seems that it may be towards another form of standardized testing. I don’t think that’s the best way to go. There are some other points I sort of agree with, but I’m going to remain cautious. What do you think?