Samstwitch
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Don't trust the government with your kids. Home -schooling is advised in today's world...[Emphasis mine.]
New Jersey Standardized Tests Will No Longer Ask 3rd-Graders To Reveal A Secret
TRENTON, N.J. -- State education officials will no longer use a standardized test question that asked third-graders to reveal a secret and write about why it was difficult to keep.
The question appeared on the writing portion of some versions of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge given to third-graders this past week. And it drew criticism from some parents, who thought it was inappropriate.
The state Department of Education said the question was reviewed and approved by it and a panel of teachers. It said Friday the question was only being tried out and would not count in the students' scores. But after further review, Department of Education spokesman Justin Barra said, the question won't be included in future tests.
"We've looked at this question in light of concerns raised by parents, and it is clear that this is not an appropriate question for a state test," Barra said, adding that about 4,000 students in 15 districts had the question.
Marlboro dentist Richard Goldberg was among the parents who had raised concerns about the question. Goldberg said he was appalled when he asked his twin 9-year-old sons about the standardized tests they were taking and they told him about the question. He said he felt it ventured into topics that would best be kept quiet and it could raise some serious complications, so he wasn't surprised to hear the state decided to eliminate it from future tests.
"I got a lot of feedback from parents who also were outraged" about the matter, Goldberg told Neptune's the Asbury Park Press newspaper. "All of a sudden now you have thousands and thousands of children possibly revealing things that now these people have to report, when the purpose of the exam was to see what the children's critical reading skills were."
SOURCE
RELATED COMMENTARY:
New Jersey's 'reveal a secret' third-grade test question: The fallout
Parents complain after kids are asked to share something they're hiding. Is that an inappropriate question for a standardized test?
State education officials in New Jersey got an earful from parents recently after third graders were given a standardized test question asking them to reveal a secret and explain why it was hard to keep. Several parents complained that the question was inappropriate for 8-year-olds. The state Department of Education reviewed the test, and agreed, promising that the question wouldn't be used in the future. How did such a controversial question wind up on a standardized test in the first place? Here's what you should know:
How many kids answered this question?
The question appeared on the tests of about 4,000 third graders in 15 districts. Since it was a new question being tried out to see if it should be included on future versions of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, the controversial prompt wasn't given to all third graders, and didn't count toward any students scores. The trial question had been reviewed and approved by the Department of Education and a panel of teachers.
Why did parents find the question so objectionable?
Richard Goldberg, whose 9-year-old twin sons told him about the question, said it was "outrageous" and "totally inappropriate" for school children. "I guarantee you some children will be writing things family members and parents would have rather not revealed to the state," he said.
How do education experts feel?
They're split. Susan Engel, director of the teaching program at Williams University, says asking about secrets might inspire kids to write, and that most "kids are not going to tell a real secret." But the question could get them thinking about a "deep dark secret," such as child molestation or their parents' looming divorce, says Bob Schaeffer, public education director of Fair Test, so it's "idiotic" to even ask. "What kind of mindset is a child left with for the rest of the exam?" he asked. "This kind of serious error can make standardized tests even less useful than they normally are."
How big of a deal is this?
It depends who you ask. But undoubtedly, standardized tests have taken on an increasingly important role in public education in recent years. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, for example, wants the results to be a factor in teachers' pay. And thanks to their newfound influence, tests are being scrutinized more closely than ever. Last month, for instance, New York education officials faced a backlash after eighth graders were given a baffling exam about a hare and a talking pineapple.
SOURCE
New Jersey Standardized Tests Will No Longer Ask 3rd-Graders To Reveal A Secret
TRENTON, N.J. -- State education officials will no longer use a standardized test question that asked third-graders to reveal a secret and write about why it was difficult to keep.
The question appeared on the writing portion of some versions of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge given to third-graders this past week. And it drew criticism from some parents, who thought it was inappropriate.
The state Department of Education said the question was reviewed and approved by it and a panel of teachers. It said Friday the question was only being tried out and would not count in the students' scores. But after further review, Department of Education spokesman Justin Barra said, the question won't be included in future tests.
"We've looked at this question in light of concerns raised by parents, and it is clear that this is not an appropriate question for a state test," Barra said, adding that about 4,000 students in 15 districts had the question.
Marlboro dentist Richard Goldberg was among the parents who had raised concerns about the question. Goldberg said he was appalled when he asked his twin 9-year-old sons about the standardized tests they were taking and they told him about the question. He said he felt it ventured into topics that would best be kept quiet and it could raise some serious complications, so he wasn't surprised to hear the state decided to eliminate it from future tests.
"I got a lot of feedback from parents who also were outraged" about the matter, Goldberg told Neptune's the Asbury Park Press newspaper. "All of a sudden now you have thousands and thousands of children possibly revealing things that now these people have to report, when the purpose of the exam was to see what the children's critical reading skills were."
SOURCE
RELATED COMMENTARY:
New Jersey's 'reveal a secret' third-grade test question: The fallout
Parents complain after kids are asked to share something they're hiding. Is that an inappropriate question for a standardized test?
State education officials in New Jersey got an earful from parents recently after third graders were given a standardized test question asking them to reveal a secret and explain why it was hard to keep. Several parents complained that the question was inappropriate for 8-year-olds. The state Department of Education reviewed the test, and agreed, promising that the question wouldn't be used in the future. How did such a controversial question wind up on a standardized test in the first place? Here's what you should know:
How many kids answered this question?
The question appeared on the tests of about 4,000 third graders in 15 districts. Since it was a new question being tried out to see if it should be included on future versions of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge, the controversial prompt wasn't given to all third graders, and didn't count toward any students scores. The trial question had been reviewed and approved by the Department of Education and a panel of teachers.
Why did parents find the question so objectionable?
Richard Goldberg, whose 9-year-old twin sons told him about the question, said it was "outrageous" and "totally inappropriate" for school children. "I guarantee you some children will be writing things family members and parents would have rather not revealed to the state," he said.
How do education experts feel?
They're split. Susan Engel, director of the teaching program at Williams University, says asking about secrets might inspire kids to write, and that most "kids are not going to tell a real secret." But the question could get them thinking about a "deep dark secret," such as child molestation or their parents' looming divorce, says Bob Schaeffer, public education director of Fair Test, so it's "idiotic" to even ask. "What kind of mindset is a child left with for the rest of the exam?" he asked. "This kind of serious error can make standardized tests even less useful than they normally are."
How big of a deal is this?
It depends who you ask. But undoubtedly, standardized tests have taken on an increasingly important role in public education in recent years. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, for example, wants the results to be a factor in teachers' pay. And thanks to their newfound influence, tests are being scrutinized more closely than ever. Last month, for instance, New York education officials faced a backlash after eighth graders were given a baffling exam about a hare and a talking pineapple.
SOURCE