Search Results for: blog standardized testing and special needs

Bill Could Change Oklahoma State Testing Guidelines

A bill in Oklahoma could change some of the requirements of ACE. It is a test that all high school students must pass in order to graduate high school. Some feel that the test guidelines are inappropriate for students who have special needs because it does not take their IEP’s into account. Standardized testing can be a controversial topic. Many have qualms about the connection between school funding and the results of standardized tests. On the other side of the issue are people who believe that the only way to fairly test all students in a school, a district, or … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – April 15 – 21, 2012

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At the end of the week, it is nice to do a quick review of all the blogs that appeared in the past seven days. The Special Needs Blog Week in Review is a great way to catch up on the blogs that you missed, but wanted to read. It gives you a brief description of each one, and a link that will take you directly to it. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on April 16, 2012. This time, I’d like to point out an episode from The Coffee Klatch which was called “National Autism Association”. It features … Continue reading →

Standardized Testing and Special Needs

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We are now in the portion of the school year when students across the country will be expected to take standardized tests. The scores they receive on those tests will be used to determine everything from which schools get funding to which teachers will lose their jobs. In some states, kids who are in special education are allowed to have more time to take those tests. Is this really a good idea? I have yet to meet a student or an educator that looks forward to the weeks when their school will be doing standardized testing. The results of these … Continue reading →

Pros of Standardized Testing

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My past two articles have discussed the factors against standardized testing. While it may seem that there are many cons to standardized testing, there are also pros. If standardized testing were all cons, I would hope that it would not still be around. Many agree that some type of assessment is needed to measure if children are learning the required material. This assessment is not just to test what a child has learned but more what a teacher has taught. It would be very easy to come in and ‘play’ with the students all day. Knowing that there will be … Continue reading →

Factors Against Standardized Testing Continued

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Yesterday, I defined standardized tests and began detailing why some believe that standardized tests are not fair. Today, I would like to continue the discussion by adding even more factors that do not support standardized testing. Some believe that the tests are unreliable due to score variations. A reliable test will produce the same results each time the test is taken. However, standardized tests must factor in a “measurement error”. The results may be different each time the test is taken due to the child’s ability to focus because of mental and emotional factors. Therefore, a child may be able … Continue reading →

Factors Against Standardized Testing

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In my last article, I discussed the standardized testing that my district just completed. I also discussed how some research suggests that standardized tests are not fair. Other research places great value in standardized tests’ results. In this article, I would like to look at the first opinion of the tests. Why do some say that that standardized tests are not worth the paper it takes to publish them? One argument against standardized tests is that they assume all children have had the same experiences. While most children in a class can relate to the same type of living, this … Continue reading →

Standardized Tests

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Last week my district participated in the annual state assessment testing. This time of year is always stressful for teachers. We begin having meetings about what we should or should not do during the testing. There are rules for basically any occurrences that could happen. The state has a procedure for everything from students who come in late to students who throw-up on their test. Yes! I actually had this to happen one year. We had to place the test inside a Ziploc bag and return it to ensure that we did not keep the test to use as a … Continue reading →

The Questions Continue Part 2: Q and A with Kaye

Kaye and I have been publicly discussing our views of home schooling vs. schooling out of the home (as homeschoolers would call it). Kaye’s last blog has asked so many questions that I have decided to answer them in three blogs instead of just one! The next section of Kaye’s questions are best answered Q and A style. The answers are so varied for each individual family, but perhaps some of you considering homeschooling can get a picture of what my day looks like. Can you share with me what a typical curriculum for homeschooling looks like? No, actually I … Continue reading →

The No Child Left Behind Act and Special Education

What is the “No Child Left Behind Act?” The No Child Left Behind Act ( NCLB ) of 2001 has been called President George Bush’s “landmark education act.” One of its primary purposes is to make schools and teachers accountable for how well their students are learning. Through standardized testing, students’ progress is measured in reading, math, science, and other academic content. The test scores are broken down to show how specific racial and socio-economic groups are performing. The goal is to prevent schools from teaching to the middle-class white children, while “leaving behind” children from other ethnicities who may … Continue reading →

Have Some Mountain Dew Before a Test?

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How do you feel about standardized testing? Chances are you aren’t an incredibly big fan of it. Children tend to strongly dislike taking standardized tests because it is stressful, confusing, frustrating, and very different from how their typical school day goes. Perhaps this is why a school in Florida found a controversial way to motivate students to take their standardized tests. Someone at Creel Elementary School in Florida came up with an unusual way to get students excited about taking the FCAT. The FCAT stands for “Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test”. A grandmother who learned about it contacted the local media. … Continue reading →