Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The common core only prepares students for taking tests.


Sent to the Yakima Herald August 13, 2013
The cartoon accompanying "Common Core standards will help prepare students for real world" (August 12) shows a parent asking a child what she learned in school today. The answer is a multiple-choice bubble sheet, a perfect response to the article. 
Not mentioned in the article is the fact that the common core is calling for more standardized testing than we have ever seen on this planet, far more than the already excessive amount required by No Child Left Behind. In addition to final tests, there will be interim tests given throughout the year and perhaps even pretests in the fall. Instead of only testing math and reading in grades 3 through 8 and once in high-school, the common core will test more subjects and more grades. I estimate at least a 20-fold increase in standardized testing. 
The common core will not help prepare students for anything except tests.
Stephen Krashen
Source: Krashen, S. 2012. How much testing?  Posted on Diane Ravitch’s blog: http://dianeravitch.net/2012/07/25/stephen- krashen-how-much-testing/
Posted on The Answer Sheet, Valerie Strauss’ Washington Post blog: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/
Original op-ed: http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/yhr/sunday/1391393-8/common-core-standards-will-help-prepare-students-for
This op-ed has appeared in several newspapers. Please see http://www.susanohanian.org/core.php?id=547.

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