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from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Tue, Apr 24th 2012 5:00pm — Michael Ho

There are a lot of standardized tests for kids to take, but it's not always clear what the results of the tests actually mean. If society wants to create a huge population of adults who can memorize some facts or fill out circles with no.2 pencils, then we're doing a pretty good job of it. Here are a few links that question the usefulness of certain kinds of tests.

The New York state Education Department recently threw out standardized test questions related to a nonsensical story about talking animals and a sleeveless pineapple. Apparently, a lot of 8th graders were confused about the moral of this story, but the larger lesson might be that standardized tests shouldn't be taken too seriously. [url]
The headmaster of one of NYC's top private schools (Riverdale) doesn't have a high opinion of standardized IQ tests for admissions. "This push on tests ... is missing out on some serious parts of what it means to be a successful human." [url]
In Florida, it looks like 5th graders are getting their answers marked wrong even when they're correct. Science is so subjective these days. [url]
Finnish schools don't administer standardized tests until the last year of high school, but somehow Finnish students seem to do well on the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) exams. Is there something to be learned from the Finnish school system? [url]
To discover more interesting education-related content, check out what's currently floating around the StumbleUpon universe. [url]

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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Filed Under: education, exams, finland, schools, students, teachers, tests
Companies: riverdale

11 Comments

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fogbugzd (profile), 24 Apr 2012 @ 5:42pm

A lot of right-wingers were making a big deal about the need to emulate Finnish schools until they realized that the Finnish school system ran counter to just about every principle of right wing education. Teachers are well paid with no merit pay. Private schools are rare, but even private schools follow the state curriculum. Funding is basically equal and paid mostly by the central government.

Oh, and schools don't compete in sports. They do have competitions in academics, but things like soccer and basketball are community based.
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A Guy (profile), 24 Apr 2012 @ 5:54pm

Re:
High pay for teachers is the only one of those things that would really make a difference. However, increasing the pay of the current crop wouldn't result in better schools for many years.

People expect teachers to make little money. Therefore, there will be little competition for those jobs. Laying off teachers now will increase competition, but it won't help because the talent pool was decided back when the potential teachers chose their educational goals.

It will probably take 10-20 years after a significant pay increase (2x to 3x) to get the best possible teaching candidates in the classrooms. I won't hold my breath.
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Atkray (profile), 24 Apr 2012 @ 8:51pm

"This push on tests ... is missing out on some serious parts of what it means to be a successful human."

Reminds me of an analysis of a software program I once heard,

"Whoever wrote this was a great programmer but failed at being a human being"
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Watchit (profile), 24 Apr 2012 @ 11:27pm

FCAT sucks
I had to take the Florida FCAT... man was that a joke. I remember one article in the "science" section that insisted that arachnids were bugs that had "six legs and an exoskeleton" :P

The FCAT was modeled after the Texas TCAT, which Texas realized was awful and went back to national standardized tests. But for some reason it was just fine for Florida? Not to mention the fact that Florida keeps lowering the bar on the science and math sections so more students can "pass".
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Apr 2012 @ 11:29pm

What's fascinating about the Finnish schools is two things: less work, fewer tests, highly educated and highly paid teachers--but also a welfare state that works well, keeps kids out of poverty and thereby reduces stress. The magical idea that stressing teachers out and paying them shit while setting a bunch of knowledge standards instead of learning standards is taking hold on the left in the US and it's a shame. We need to reinvest in our schools and our nation's infrastructure in concrete ways and with (gasp) tax money, so that our students get a great education, not the education offered by the lowest bidder.
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Watchit (profile), 24 Apr 2012 @ 11:31pm

Re: Re:
actually the no school funded sports also might've made a difference. Instead of spending so much on school sports, they're spending it on academics and teachers.
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abc gum, 25 Apr 2012 @ 4:59am

Re:
"The magical idea that stressing teachers out and paying them shit while setting a bunch of knowledge standards instead of learning standards is taking hold on the left in the US and it's a shame."

Left?
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:), 25 Apr 2012 @ 5:29pm

Happy 4/25
HAPPY ALICE DAY to any fellow GLs who may be here! :)
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Michael Ho (profile), 26 Apr 2012 @ 12:51am

Re: Lessons...
The takeaways from the Finnish system don't seem that clear. Finland has a completely different set of demographics than the US, so what works in Finland might not work in other countries.
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Watchit (profile), 26 Apr 2012 @ 6:44pm

Re: Happy 4/25
You are sick >:[
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lrobbo (profile), 12 Jun 2012 @ 11:00am

Tests in a highly testing culture. My circling skills and control of a HB pencil are something to marvel at.
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