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Thursday, April 20, 2006
The Tests Before The Tests
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bridget Gutierrez visited a Henry County middle school for her story on eighth-graders facing retention if they don’t pass the reading and math portions of the CRCT. She was struck by how often the kids take pre-tests leading up to the biggie.
At Austin Road Middle School, “teachers gave them CRCT-like quizzes every three weeks since the beginning of the school year and met with them one-on-one every six weeks to discuss their progress,” Bridget writes. The school’s students have a history of doing very well on the CRCT. Another colleague visited a school where kids take a CRCT pre-test every Friday.
Is testing regularly before the test a good use of class time? (Teachers say it gives them a good idea of their students’ strengths and weaknesses.) Or do such pre-tests take away from time when the teacher could be teaching?
Harry Potter Too Witchy for Gwinnett Mom
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UPDATE: Read the latest on this issue here. Sorry I had to shut down the comments. A few folks who can’t say on topic or resist the temptation to commit identity theft ruin the fun for everybody…
Here’s Laura Diamond’s story about the mother who wants Harry Potter books removed from Gwinnett school libraries.
I covered a few book hearings back in the 1990s in Gwinnett, and from my experience the board is likely to uphold the local school’s decision to keep the books on the shelf.
Does Harry belong at school? (True confession: I haven’t read Harry Potter or seen the movies. Someday…)
