SHOCKINGLY NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE!....(These were the comments made by Nashua NH Teachers who took the Smarter Balance Assessments. 1.Totally grade level inappropriate; difficult even for some teachers with advanced degrees. 2. Seems the test was designed more as a psychological or sociological experiment, not as a measure of academic learning. Who created this test, anyway? It couldnt have been by professional educators. 3. This would be a crushing emotional experience for my students. 4. It is nothing less than child abuse for my special ed students in my classroom. 5. I refuse to administer this assessment to my students. There were other comments, including serious concerns about privacy. Yesterday I found out that at least 2 schools in Rochester will begin Smarter Balance Assessments. Possibly today. The Superintendent hadnt said anything about this in several weeks,~ before budget talks had begun. I went on both of the schools websites to see if it had been posted, William Allen School did on the Parent Connection letter. Parents were also sent home noticing informing them. According to the COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT Between the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION and the SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT CONSORTIUM: “An eligible applicant awarded a grant under this category must --- 1. Evaluate the validity, reliability, and fairness of the summative assessment components of the assessment system, and make available through formal mechanisms (e.g., peer-reviewed journals) and informal mechanisms (e.g., newsletters), and in print and electronically, the results of any evaluations it conducts; “(p. 11) Pearson is the only corporation developing these SBAC assessments. Yet there is no technical adequacy data, which means these current pilot and field tests are nothing more than research activities. As research activities under contract with the U.S. Department of Education, the researcher must conform with Institutional Review Board standards, which requires ~informed consent from the guardians of minors.~ Moreover, parents cannot be compelled to submit their children as participants in a research activity. Also, State law requires that all statewide assessments are valid and appropriate. The Smarter Balanced assessments are not valid or appropriate. RSA 193-C III (b) The assessment exercises or tasks shall be valid and appropriate representations of the standards the students are expected to achieve. Reread #2 of the Nashua teachers concerns. The Smarter Balance assessment will measure dispositions? Dictionary definition of disposition: 1.0the predominant or prevailing tendency of ones spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude: a girl with a pleasant disposition. 2.state of mind regarding something; inclination: a disposition to gamble. In other words, many questions on this test will have nothing to do with measuring where your child is at, academically speaking. This is Data mining or collecting for an experimental test, that will take about 6 hours away from instructional time. I would think that informed consent would be signing a permission slip, but apparently that is not how the administration sees it. I dont see any of this being the falling at the feet of out teachers as they have been struggling to meet the Common Cores Competency guidelines and relearning how to teach to a test, rather than teaching in the same effective, age appropriate, and relevant ways they have been trained. You can and I believe should opt your child out today or at any point of this testing, (if your not convinced yet), by sending a note in saying that you dont want them participating in this. SHARING IS CARING..... nhfamiliesforeducation.org/content/opting-out-common-core-aligned-smarter-balanced-assessments-new-hampshire
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 09:24:26 +0000
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