AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2005 > June > 07
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
A Teacher’s Frustration
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tomorrow, the state will release results on the CRCT, Georgia’s Big Test. Pass rates are expected to be high, and it’s hard to know what to make of the pass rates, because there’s no way to know how difficult it is to pass the test.
Test scores will be used to judge schools and teachers. Here’s a post from a teacher who’s frustrated.
“I had one student in my class that was tested at the Kindergarten level in every subject. (I teach 5th Grade.) Why he has not been placed in an alternative setting is beyond me, but now that he did not pass the reading and math sections faces the prospect of summer school. Clearly, this child is learning disabled in some way and will undoubtedly suffer through three weeks of intense drill only to not pass the test again.
How much sense does it make to retain and retain and retain a youngster that needs additional support and a lot of it?(Also, this child’s mother called the school to complain that the parent-liason was “harrassing” her about getting her plethora of children to school on time.) This child’s scores (and others like him) will now be a reflection of me and how I taught all year. I don’t think that that is very fair.
Something needs to change in the ol’ accoutability column. I’d like to see them compare children’s specific test scores from grade to grade.”
Does the system judge teachers unfairly?
