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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Md. teachers testify: Some students can’t cope with standardized tests

WASHINGTON — It’s not the content; it’s the process. That’s what some teachers say is leading kids to dissolve into tears of frustration during the battery of standardized testing they’re facing in Maryland public schools.

The teachers testified in Annapolis on Monday.

Children enrolled in special education classes are especially frustrated by the demands of the testing. Betsy Perry, a special-education teacher in Montgomery County, told a legislative commission that she’s seen students put their heads on their desks in defeat, or burst into tears, frustrated by sluggish computer responses as kids struggle to answer all the questions in the allotted time.

Perry also questioned the value of testing for some of her students, who have profound disabilities and whose education plans are focused more on life skills than meeting on-grade level goals.

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10 comments:

  1. In my day, this was not an excuse. And why do they not cope well? Could it be that playing too many videos rather than reading actual books and doing real math problems has caused a malaise in their cognitive thought process?

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  2. They mean the Thugs.

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  3. Just as one size of clothing doesn't fit all, neither does education.

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  4. I'm sure some Democrat will chalk it up to sodas and eating McDonald's food.

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  5. 10:38am, some people have to work harder than others when learning subjects. It's not about one-size fitting all. Education, if pursued with support from elders and passion, can be a wonderful thing. However, that support is seldom reinforced and the passion is left up to students whom are not inspired by real heroes. They only have the pop culture to turn to for such inspiration.

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  6. THis allows the tests to be modified. People would be surprised to know that some high schoolers have the test questions read them because they have "test anxiety." It is nothing more than a way to make it look like the test scores are higher then they are. Same with all these kids with "learning disabilities." MD accumulated an unusually large number of these when omalley was governor. This so tests could be modified, scores higher and omalley can say MD schools are so great. He is such a pathetic piss poor excuse for a man and it is a pleasure seeing liar get such low poll numbers.

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  7. Apparently some of those commenting have no idea what goes on in schools when prepping for those tests! The amount of pressure put on this kids is ridiculous. Some of the honest teachers will even tell you that! They spend more time studying those tests than learning the subjects. I have a son that has severe anxiety. He is well behaved and listens but the pressure placed on him to score well (he was the top percentile in his grade) was so great that he would come home in tears and withdraw from not just school but society and his family. His last two years of public school I told him I didn't care how he scored. If he went from excelling to being below "normal" it didn't matter to me. The pressure is applied to those that are smart and well behaved because the hoodrats could give a shit less. I hate public school...detest it. I think all of them should be shut down because it isn't about education any more... Its about free daycare and free lunches.

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  8. There are many people who have test anxiety and do not test well, but that calls for inner fortitude to suck it up and just shine it on. Study harder. Drill longer. It can be overcome if someone is willing to personally work with the student to overcome this anxiety.

    I've known many students that have had performance anxiety, but when a parent/teacher team takes the time to work with them, they have excelled. The add-water and mix education mentality simply does not apply. We have ventured way off base from the old days where students/teachers could form bonds of trust to the point where instruction is appreciated.

    Teachers, due to school officials, parents and others whom have abused their students, have been put into a situation where honesty is not the best policy. The toughest teacher I ever had was brutally honest - yet in today's world, she would have parents clamoring for her dismissal. If it weren't for her, I would've never gotten to a point in life where a Ph.D. was even an option.

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  9. US public education is a joke. These testing companies are for profit businesses who lobby law makers to make them required. True this does give incentive for students to be labeled w/all kinds of faux diagnosis so those students can take modified tests. It is nothing more than an illusion. An illusion created to give politicians a bragging platform i.e.-The schools in my area are tops. Must be because I'm so great they imply.
    The schools need to be given back to local jurisdictions. They were like this until that nasty hughes because governor. May he not rest in peace, the crooked corrupt SOB.

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  10. Obama will just pass them so to keep up with so called white Privilage.

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