No need to know math or reading or writing

[truthpls]

"High school students in one state have been relieved, by state officials, of the responsibility to document their understanding of math in order to graduate.

Or their understanding of reading.

Or their understanding of writing."

State says high schoolers can graduate without showing proficiency in math, reading | WND | by Bob Unruh

High school students in one state have been relieved, by state officials, of the responsibility to document their understanding of math in order to graduate.

www.wnd.com

Heck they don't even have to know what sex they are!

Is this something you want for your kids?

 

[Aldebaran]

"High school students in one state have been relieved, by state officials, of the responsibility to document their understanding of math in order to graduate.

Or their understanding of reading.

Or their understanding of writing."

State says high schoolers can graduate without showing proficiency in math, reading | WND | by Bob Unruh

High school students in one state have been relieved, by state officials, of the responsibility to document their understanding of math in order to graduate.

www.wnd.com

Heck they don't even have to know what sex they are!

Is this something you want for your kids?

Makes me wonder if attendance will no longer be required. What's the point of attending class if learning anything is optional?

 

[truthpls]

Makes me wonder if attendance will no longer be required. What's the point of attending class if learning anything is optional?

 

[ZephBonkerer]

The article was fairly light on details, so I felt like I had to read between the lines...

Board Member Vicky Lopez Sanchez told the publication that assessments haven't been "suspended," but the board did suspend the "inappropriate use of how those assessments were being used."

What were the uses of these assessments that were deemed inappropriate? Maybe I'm a bit jaded after seeing one too many things being blamed on "systemic racism". If minority students are under performing in some test, how is that the fault of racism? To me, that sounds like plain ol' Life Isn't Fair.

What are we supposed to do about life not being fair? And at what cost?

 

[truthpls]

The article was fairly light on details, so I felt like I had to read between the lines...



What were the uses of these assessments that were deemed inappropriate? Maybe I'm a bit jaded after seeing one too many things being blamed on "systemic racism". If minority students are under performing in some test, how is that the fault of racism? To me, that sounds like plain ol' Life Isn't Fair.

What are we supposed to do about life not being fair? And at what cost?

The causes you suspect could be a factor. I would think that a rigorous teaching of the basics would be the priority.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

"High school students in one state have been relieved, by state officials, of the responsibility to document their understanding of math in order to graduate.

Or their understanding of reading.

Or their understanding of writing."

State says high schoolers can graduate without showing proficiency in math, reading | WND | by Bob Unruh

High school students in one state have been relieved, by state officials, of the responsibility to document their understanding of math in order to graduate.

www.wnd.com

Heck they don't even have to know what sex they are!

Is this something you want for your kids?

.... oh goodness, say it ain't so!

 

[PloverWing]

Here's a discussion of the decision from Oregon Public Broadcasting: A closer look at Oregon’s decision to drop high school graduation ‘essential skill’ requirements

Students still have to pass all their high school classes and earn a specific number of credits to graduate. The question is whether a particular standardized test is a good measure of the students' proficiency in various skills. If it isn't a good measure, then perhaps the test shouldn't be added to the list of graduation requirements. Opinions among Oregon K-12 educators differ. I'm not an Oregon K-12 educator, and I haven't seen the test in question, so I don't have an informed opinion on the question.

 

[RDKirk]

Here's a discussion of the decision from Oregon Public Broadcasting: A closer look at Oregon’s decision to drop high school graduation ‘essential skill’ requirements

Students still have to pass all their high school classes and earn a specific number of credits to graduate. The question is whether a particular standardized test is a good measure of the students' proficiency in various skills. If it isn't a good measure, then perhaps the test shouldn't be added to the list of graduation requirements. Opinions among Oregon K-12 educators differ. I'm not an Oregon K-12 educator, and I haven't seen the test in question, so I don't have an informed opinion on the question.

Standardized testing is fine. It just takes a lot of work to make sure you're testing for what you're teaching and closely studying and understanding your test results for each and every quesiton.

There's nothing wrong with "teaching for the test" if you know you're testing for the knowledge you want. But you have to keep all the statistics surrounding your testing procedure and the data of how statistics change when elements of the test or the teaching methods or the student environments change.

When that happens properly, standardized testing will point out accurately where inadequate teaching has occurred.

Let's say you have a 100-question test. You can divide the test takers of each year into upper- and lower- scoring halves. The presumption will be that the upper half has, for perhaps various reasons, learned the material better than the lower half. But we want to know why they learned better.

Let's say that there is one question that is missed not only by nearly everyone in the lower half, but also a large percentage of people in the upper half. If the people who otherwise learned better also tended to get that particular question wrong...then there's something wrong with the question. OTOH, if everyone in the upper half got a question right--and so did most of the people in the lower half--then there is still something wrong with the question. You want students who have learned the subject to get the question right (no trick questions!), but you also want students who have not learned the subject to get the question wrong (no giveaways!).

Do the results show the students in the lower half are deficient in specific areas? If your questions are written properly, that should become apparent. A good standardized test should worry the educators as much as it worries the students.

Standardized testing is the best way to understand what's actually happening...if you do it right.

 

[truthpls]

Here's a discussion of the decision from Oregon Public Broadcasting: A closer look at Oregon’s decision to drop high school graduation ‘essential skill’ requirements

Students still have to pass all their high school classes and earn a specific number of credits to graduate. The question is whether a particular standardized test is a good measure of the students' proficiency in various skills. If it isn't a good measure, then perhaps the test shouldn't be added to the list of graduation requirements. Opinions among Oregon K-12 educators differ. I'm not an Oregon K-12 educator, and I haven't seen the test in question, so I don't have an informed opinion on the question.

So test whether they know it or not? Perhaps they could just 'identify' as having passed?

 

[PloverWing]

So test whether they know it or not? Perhaps they could just 'identify' as having passed?

Or perhaps look at whether they earned an A or an F in their high school English and algebra classes. That's always an option.

(I have mixed feelings about the standardized tests that were used in my children's K-12 schools. I genuinely don't know whether Oregon has made the right decision, and as @RDKirk has observed, much depends on the quality of the test. But there are other ways to evaluate students besides the two options of "standardized test" or "ask them how they feel this morning".)

 

[Bobber]

I betcha they've got to pass the politically correct tests! Every one on them!

 

[truthpls]

Or perhaps look at whether they earned an A or an F in their high school English and algebra classes. That's always an option.

(I have mixed feelings about the standardized tests that were used in my children's K-12 schools. I genuinely don't know whether Oregon has made the right decision, and as @RDKirk has observed, much depends on the quality of the test. But there are other ways to evaluate students besides the two options of "standardized test" or "ask them how they feel this morning".)

A teacher granting someone an A might not mean much if some teacher's pet was actually tested. Likewise if a teacher tended to dislike some student, their F might not be an F on an actual test. I wonder if schools would feel any need to share test results with parents anyhow? If a kid wants a new sex or an abortion in some places parents don't need to know.

 

[truthpls]

I betcha they've got to pass the politically correct tests! Every one on them!

Gross

 

[rambot]

The op quotes WND who misrepresents the story and doesn't provide a direct link.

Shoddy emotional journalism designed to trick.

Who fell for it?

 

[ZephBonkerer]

The op quotes WND who misrepresents the story and doesn't provide a direct link.

Shoddy emotional journalism designed to trick.

Who fell for it?

That was very astute. I get a bit suspicious whenever the author of an article does not seem curious as to Why a particular action was taken - especially when the intent appears to be assumed. Or worse: when the author appears to insinuate some ill intent.

In one case of bad journalism I remember (if I find the link, I'll share it), there were 50 or so police officers that belonged to some side organization. When that organization took some disciplinary action against against an officer, all of the remaining officers left that organization. The people interviewed for the article claimed that the officers didn't want to be held accountable for their misdeeds, and the article was spun in a way to promote that narrative. When I read it, I could not figure out why not a single officer was quoted in that article. Not even a "could not be reached for comment" line! While it was conceivable that the author sought commentary from one of the officers, no mention of this was in the article. Why would any decent journalist not bother to seek input from one of the departing officers in this case?

In short, I was left with the impression that the author wanted to promote some narrative of the matter and had no interest in evidence that might not support that view. I believed it was likely that the officers may have had perfectly good reasons for leaving that organization, but that possibility was never explored.

We should be on guard against media that seems designed to manipulate rather than inform. That's not a Left vs Right matter, that's just good practice.

 

[truthpls]

The op quotes WND who misrepresents the story and doesn't provide a direct link.

Shoddy emotional journalism designed to trick.

Who fell for it?

The story is misrepresented how?

 

[com7fy8]

They have at least from seventh grade to find out if each student is learning "reading, writing, and 'rithmetic".

In my school, I was in a lower group, after staying back in third grade, and I could do a book report each week.

I became a teacher in New York State which had state Regents tests. I was told how to teach so the good students did well in preparation for college, and told who was not expected to do well and so keep them in the class and let them do however they did.

There was no clear plan for how to help the lower students to get the good education that they could have gotten. They just tagged along with the higher students, in my groups. Of course, it could have been partly my fault how I went along with that.

 

[truthpls]

They have at least from seventh grade to find out if each student is learning "reading, writing, and 'rithmetic".

In my school, I was in a lower group, after staying back in third grade, and I could do a book report each week.

I became a teacher in New York State which had state Regents tests. I was told how to teach so the good students did well in preparation for college, and told who was not expected to do well and so keep them in the class and let them do however they did.

There was no clear plan for how to help the lower students to get the good education that they could have gotten. They just tagged along with the higher students, in my groups. Of course, it could have been partly my fault how I went along with that.

I think the article was about high school students.

 

[RoBo1988]

Makes me wonder if attendance will no longer be required. What's the point of attending class if learning anything is optional?

But the students will feel good about themselves, so that's more important!

 

[truthpls]

That was very astute. I get a bit suspicious whenever the author of an article does not seem curious as to Why a particular action was taken - especially when the intent appears to be assumed. Or worse: when the author appears to insinuate some ill intent.

I was not curious as to why the basics were not required any more than I am curious about why some schools do not inform parents about abortions or sex changes and promote those things, Even drag shows apparently in some places. I found the OP article interesting because it shows the state of education today in some places. Not because I thought there was some debate as to the pattern of degradation and state of schools today.

In short, I was left with the impression that the author wanted to promote some narrative of the matter and had no interest in evidence that might not support that view.

The author seemed aware that the school system was is such a ridiculous state of degeneration and wanted to offer another example of something to laugh about perhaps?

We should be on guard against media that seems designed to manipulate rather than inform. That's not a Left vs Right matter, that's just good practice.

Many people need no manipulation to realize that the school system has actually become dangerous and wicked to a large degree. Foxes are in charge of guarding the hen house.