I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. - Chris Christie, "An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ" October, 2009

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Testing/Cheating Nation

Cheating on high-stakes tests? I'm just shocked!
ATLANTA — A state investigation released Tuesday showed rampant, systematic cheating on test scores in this city’s long-troubled public schools, ending two years of increasing skepticism over remarkable improvements touted by school leaders. 
The results of the investigation, made public by Gov. Nathan Deal, showed that the cheating occurred at 44 schools and involved at least 178 teachers and principals, almost half of whom have confessed, the governor said. 
A culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation existed in the district, which led to a conspiracy of silence, he said in a prepared statement. “There will be consequences,” Mr. Deal said.
Yes - those consequences will include the introduction of high-stakes testing across the nation, with scores tied to teacher and administrator compensation. 'Cause it's working just so freakin' well wherever it's tried...
I'm shocked! Shocked to find cheating on tests when people's livelihoods depend on the scores!

6 comments:

James said...

I find it amazing that the nation is fascinated by test scores, yet no one ever asks about the content of the tests, about their development, about their relevance or really anything else other than what the scores are. There's an absolute trust in the test developers.

thinker said...

Wow James...you said a mouthful!

Anonymous said...

James you are so right. How much money has the state paid to have the test developed, tested, monitored, changed etc. Who is getting all of that money?...the testing company!

Unknown said...

The govt obsession with test driven teacher accountability is so corrupt and abusive that nothing positive will come from it, short of the destruction of our public school system. Read this and weep in the GA gov report:

"The governor’s report on the Atlanta Public Schools described a “widespread conspiracy” to rig scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) as well as taking measures against any teachers that would go against the policy, according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution"

http://www.imperfectparent.com/topics/2011/07/06/atlanta-teacher-cheating-scandal-may-be-largest-ever/

Wanna bet the school personnel are charged with crimes? A conspiracy charge is serious and might be a felony 9I don't know and am not a lawyer). There's a long history of real and metaphorical lynchings down here in the south. What better way to bolster an image political strength than to prosecute a group of powerless, desperate teachers.

M. Balinge said...

When administering the NJASK to a small group, I was required to read the test questions aloud. There were mistakes and some very unecessarily confusing questions that could be taken several ways. That's the problem with a multiple choice test: there are too many grey areas.

Also, I have read that the test scorers do not even need to have a degree and that they are pressured to complete a certain (and unreasonable) number of tests in a certain amount of time.

Duke said...

James, well said. See:

http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2011/03/welcome-to-testing-world.html

jcg, if they are charged, then the politicians who put these policies in place should also be held accountable.

M. Balinge, see above. Todd Farley is great.