posted by:
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Everly Broadway
on November 3, 2000
at 9:02AM
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subject:
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NC and testing
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Greetings from Durham, North Carolina
I am Everly Broadway, Math Coordinator, and PI of Realizing Achievement in Mathematics Performance (RAMP), a K-12 LSC in Durham, NC. The North Carolina state accountability system is high stakes with financial awards for the winners and humiliation for the losers. I have mixed feelings about the system. On the one hand, it has forced us to expect at least a minimum standard for every child. It should not have taken legislation to do this. On the other hand, the frenzy of the testing can certainly obscure inquiry based instruction.
My approach is to use the power of THE TEST when possible, yet to warn against it at the same time. North Carolina administers multiple choice tests in reading and math at every grade level 3 to 8, and again in grade 10. We have end of year assessment booklets in mathematics at grades K, 1, & 2. We test in writing at grades 4,7, and 10. We do not test science and social studies until the high school years. Our LSC team has created pacing charts which align with benchmark tests that we have created. These benchmark tests are look alike tests to the North Carolina state tests. I cringe about this, but the clincher is this: the pacing charts prescribe the use of our NSF supported standards-based math programs. In this way we use the power of the testing frenzy to support the implementation of the curriculum.
In the same manner, when our state and district demanded portfolio assessment for every child, we are making sure that all standard performance pieces are aligned with our pacing chart and blend with the assessment pieces from our standards based curriculum.
I simply think that students who have experienced a thinking based math curriculum can deal with these tests. They can reason which multiple choice answers don t make sense. Although I don t love these tests, I see no reason to spend a ton of energy fighting them right now. I do work on state committees and collect feedback from the teachers to pass on to the decision makers, etc., but I don t fight this battle constantly with my administration.
I m looking forward to further discussion.
Everly Broadway (North Carolina)
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