Week 10
1. What do international comparisons tell us about how well our students are doing?
Information in regards to international comparisons really hasn't changed in many years. Overall, the United States performs lower, especially in mathematics, in comparison to countries such as Japan, China, and Korea. With countries that are more comparable to the U.S. such as Australia or Canada, the United States fares better. The information is not as clear with these tests because they are not designed to measure consistent things. Some tests are designed to measure what is taught in school. Other tests are designed to measure more of the application aspect that students are able to accomplish. Because the results vary so much, it is hard to draw a clear conclusion.
Hearing this information in the video was not surprising to me. I was interested to learn that the gap is closer between the United States and other similar countries like Canada. I agree that the information is not new because I have always heard that other students, especially Chinese students, perform much higher than American children. It also was not surprising that math was the largest gap between America and these other developed Asian countries.
2. What do our own standardized tests tell us about individual performance?
Standardized tests offer information in regards to how well American students are learning. They can identify gaps between the U.S. and other countries to target specific areas that need improvement. Standardized tests can also tell how big these inequities are between the United States and other countries.
3. What is wrong with the way we report scores?
This was my favorite part of all of the videos because I felt there was a lot of truth shared in this particular segment. I could think of several other situations in education that are quite similar. Professor Koretz discusses how standardized tests are "dropped from the sky" by big wigs that aren't fully in education and don't understand the impact that they have. Teachers are expected to give these tests to their students and always have something new coming at them. However, when the scores come back, they aren't really reviewed because by then another change has come along and replaced that test. There is no time to determine what works well and what doesn't.
Professor Koretz also discusses how the way we report scores is really both a political and an ethical problem. It is a political problem because there is no information gained through these changes. If information was gathered, students could be better served overall. The ethical problem to this is that they cause big impacts to happen in classrooms everywhere. No one takes time to review these impacts and see how they are benefiting or hurting children. It's not fair to conduct testing in this way because it really isn't benefiting anyone at that point.
I really liked listening to this because, as a teacher, I feel it is very true. It happens with many other things besides testing, but testing is a big topic. New things come along and before they are thoroughly worked through or anyone is really good at it, something new comes along and replaces it. I feel that teachers and students are never given a chance to work through the beginning stages and really begin to feel comfortable with anything because it is all ever-changing.
4. In our current political system, for what do teachers get "credit"? How are they most evaluated? What are your thoughts on this?
Teachers get credit for teaching the students in their class more information. When standardized tests are given, the results are expected to show increased productivity. This means cramming more and more information into a school year. I believe the impact of this means that students may be exposed to more information, but they are going to have a solid understanding of any of it. This creates students that only have surface knowledge of very little.
The problem I have with this idea is that it is completely contradictory of the efforts that are currently going on. I always hear that students should become better problem solvers. They should possess the 21st century skills that employers will be looking for some day. However, students are unable to show those things because they are just having information constantly thrown at them. Teachers are most evaluated through those standardized tests in which students show what they have learned through the year. When they are showing what they know, it is typically on a multiple choice test. They are regurgitating all of the surface knowledge they have gained through the year. Problem solving is the last thing on their mind. Teachers don't get any credit for creating better thinkers or problem solvers that the world needs.
5. Why do we need to be concerned about testing very young children?
The concern with testing very young children is that they will have very little esteem for academic achievement. When they are young, children could care less about doing well on a test. Professor Koretz talks about how it is more important to be good at a sport than to be good in school. Because of this, low academic achievement is a result. If this continues, this is going to continue to be the result and children are going to care less and less about doing well in school because it will only be about taking test after test.
Information in regards to international comparisons really hasn't changed in many years. Overall, the United States performs lower, especially in mathematics, in comparison to countries such as Japan, China, and Korea. With countries that are more comparable to the U.S. such as Australia or Canada, the United States fares better. The information is not as clear with these tests because they are not designed to measure consistent things. Some tests are designed to measure what is taught in school. Other tests are designed to measure more of the application aspect that students are able to accomplish. Because the results vary so much, it is hard to draw a clear conclusion.
Hearing this information in the video was not surprising to me. I was interested to learn that the gap is closer between the United States and other similar countries like Canada. I agree that the information is not new because I have always heard that other students, especially Chinese students, perform much higher than American children. It also was not surprising that math was the largest gap between America and these other developed Asian countries.
2. What do our own standardized tests tell us about individual performance?
Standardized tests offer information in regards to how well American students are learning. They can identify gaps between the U.S. and other countries to target specific areas that need improvement. Standardized tests can also tell how big these inequities are between the United States and other countries.
3. What is wrong with the way we report scores?
This was my favorite part of all of the videos because I felt there was a lot of truth shared in this particular segment. I could think of several other situations in education that are quite similar. Professor Koretz discusses how standardized tests are "dropped from the sky" by big wigs that aren't fully in education and don't understand the impact that they have. Teachers are expected to give these tests to their students and always have something new coming at them. However, when the scores come back, they aren't really reviewed because by then another change has come along and replaced that test. There is no time to determine what works well and what doesn't.
Professor Koretz also discusses how the way we report scores is really both a political and an ethical problem. It is a political problem because there is no information gained through these changes. If information was gathered, students could be better served overall. The ethical problem to this is that they cause big impacts to happen in classrooms everywhere. No one takes time to review these impacts and see how they are benefiting or hurting children. It's not fair to conduct testing in this way because it really isn't benefiting anyone at that point.
I really liked listening to this because, as a teacher, I feel it is very true. It happens with many other things besides testing, but testing is a big topic. New things come along and before they are thoroughly worked through or anyone is really good at it, something new comes along and replaces it. I feel that teachers and students are never given a chance to work through the beginning stages and really begin to feel comfortable with anything because it is all ever-changing.
4. In our current political system, for what do teachers get "credit"? How are they most evaluated? What are your thoughts on this?
Teachers get credit for teaching the students in their class more information. When standardized tests are given, the results are expected to show increased productivity. This means cramming more and more information into a school year. I believe the impact of this means that students may be exposed to more information, but they are going to have a solid understanding of any of it. This creates students that only have surface knowledge of very little.
The problem I have with this idea is that it is completely contradictory of the efforts that are currently going on. I always hear that students should become better problem solvers. They should possess the 21st century skills that employers will be looking for some day. However, students are unable to show those things because they are just having information constantly thrown at them. Teachers are most evaluated through those standardized tests in which students show what they have learned through the year. When they are showing what they know, it is typically on a multiple choice test. They are regurgitating all of the surface knowledge they have gained through the year. Problem solving is the last thing on their mind. Teachers don't get any credit for creating better thinkers or problem solvers that the world needs.
5. Why do we need to be concerned about testing very young children?
The concern with testing very young children is that they will have very little esteem for academic achievement. When they are young, children could care less about doing well on a test. Professor Koretz talks about how it is more important to be good at a sport than to be good in school. Because of this, low academic achievement is a result. If this continues, this is going to continue to be the result and children are going to care less and less about doing well in school because it will only be about taking test after test.
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