Friday, March 14, 2014

Nonstop hi-tech testing

Published in the Los Angeles Times, March 19, 2014

Re "Common Core learning curve," Editorial, March 14

Not mentioned in the editorial  (March 14) is the astonishing amount of testing required by the Common Core and the requirement that testing must be done online.

No Child Left Behind required tests "only" at the end of year in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school. The Common Core aims to test all subjects in all grades, and includes interim tests to be given throughout the school year.

To take the tests, students must be connected to the Internet with up-to-date computers. After the computers are in place, there will be continual upgrades and replacements. The one billion set aside by Gov. Brown is only the beginning.

There is no evidence that massive online testing will benefit students in any way. 

Stephen Krashen

This letter printed at: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-le-0319-wednesday-common-core-20140319,0,1709673.story#ixzz2wQTHupxG
Sources:
Huge increase in testing, interim testing, pretests: Krashen, S. 2012. How much testing? http://dianeravitch.net/2012/07/25/stephen-­‐ krashen-­‐how-­‐much-­‐testing/
 and: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/

One billion only the beginning: Krashen, S. and Ohanian, S. 2011. High Tech Testing on the Way: a 21st Century Boondoggle? http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2011/04/high_tech_testing_on_the_way_a.html

No evidence that massive testings benefits students: Nichols, S., Glass, G., and Berliner, D. 2006. High-stakes testing and student achievement: Does accountability increase student learning? Education Policy Archives 14(1).
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v14n1/. OECD. Tienken, C., 2011. Common core standards: An example of data-less decision-making. Journal of Scholarship and Practice. American Association of School Administrators [AASA], 7(4): 3-18. http://www.aasa.org/jsp.aspx.







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