Scarsdale Seventh Graders to Boycott State Mandated Test
Scarsdale parents can now do more than just complain about the increasing number of state-mandated tests imposed on the district’s school children. This week parents of seventh graders at Scarsdale Middle School have been given a chance to opt their children out of an upcoming state exam and register their discontent with new state requirements for local schools.
Many are up in arms about this particular math test which is a “field test” to allow educational publisher Pearson to test questions for upcoming exams. The results of the exam will not be released, so the sole purpose of the test is to formulate questions for future exams.
In order to boycott the test, parents need to respond to an email they received from the Scarsdale Middle School PTA by June 1. The school will make alternative arrangements for students who choose not to take the test.
The Boycott the Field Test campaign is part of a larger effort by parent organizations across New York State. Two advocacy groups, named Time Out From Testing and Parent Voices NY have organized letter-writing actions within schools across the state to let principals know that parents refuse to permit their children to take the test.
And a large group of principals agree as well. New York Principals, a group that was formed on Long Island, and has expanded state-wide, is pushing back on the Chancellor Merryl Tisch and the Board of Regents to ease up on testing and teacher evaluations based on test results. They recently issued the results of a survey of 8,000 parents on their sentiments about the testing of third through eighth graders which found that testing “prevents children from engaging in meaningful school activities,” and imposes “high levels of stress.”
Excerpts from the survey of parents shows that:
- 87% said time devoted to standardized tests is not a good use of school time.
- 75% reported their child was more anxious in the month preceding the test.
- 70% said increased emphasis on testing has had a negative impact on their children’s schools.
In addition, almost 1,500 principals in the state, or about a third of all NYS principals, has signed a position paper objecting to the newly imposed Annual Professional Performance Reviews (APPR) for teachers and administrators that will force local districts to rate personnel on a scale of 1 to 100, a number that will be partially derived from how their students perform on standardized tests. The paper was also signed by 5,200 administrators, teachers and parents.
The paper contends that the APPR based on standardized test results will have many negative consequences.
- Principals fear that rating teachers based on test results will “narrow the curriculum” and cause teachers to ”focus more on test preparation and skill and drill teaching.”
- “Struggling students” would be placed in lower-level classes without standardized assessments, and will hesitate to place students in more challenging classes for fear of poor test results.
- The tests will change the dynamics between teachers and students.
- Rather than collaborate, teachers will compete.
If you wish to add your name to the list of the supporters of the NYS Testing Paper, click here:
Scarsdale parents we spoke to had mixed reactions to the email. While some agreed with the boycott and the petition, another mom said, “I was told the test is only 40 minutes so I am not so concerned. If kids opt out of it, yet half are still taking it, they likely won’t be doing anything productive. Also, the more comfortable kids get taking tests the better off they will be when it really counts. The whole testing thing is still a mystery to me as Scarsdale parents don’t want teachers teaching to the test, yet they all go and have them tutored so they can do well on the tests!”
What do you think? Please post your comments below:
Comments (15)
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written by Scarsdale Mom, June 05, 2012
Agreed. Everyone has to learn to sew a button, and not everyone wants to become an investment banker. Home-Ec, woodworking; keep them.
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written by A Middle School Parent, June 04, 2012
GA Mother had me interested until her second point #3. The life skills-type sewing, cooking, soldering, woodworking etc. strike me as completely appropriate for middle school learning and a great use of time. Besides having a chance to work with their hands in addition to (and NOT instead of) their minds, the kids have to learn how to budget their time, sometimes how to budget funds, how to work in small groups, and they come out of the class with something tangible that they can be proud of having made. They can also experience the satisfaction of mastering new skills, many of which they can use in "real life" (sewing on missing shirt buttons, e.g.!). It would be nice to think kids had a chance to learn these skills at home, but somehow I don't think many do these days, and even if they do, I think it's great to have real instruction at school in these areas. Furthermore, I'm glad all children get the same opportunities, unlike the benighted days of my youth when "shop" was for boys and "home ec" was for girls.
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written by GA Mother, June 04, 2012
I believe that it is important to participate in the field testing for the following reasons:
1.In doing so, the test draftsmen will be able to determine if the proposed test is appropriate for this grade level. In theory, it will provide a better test for the students who follow.
2. If parents are worried about the stress on the children, I suggest that it is appropriate for the children to be exposed to these type tests. With greater exposure to standardized testing, the child is less likely to be stressed with tests that matter such as the PSAT and the SAT.
3. Whether or not this school year has had an inappropriate amount of "teaching for the test" or not is a matter of debate. However, this field test does not require any additional "teaching for the test". It is only a portion of one day. As grades do not count and are not reported to the school, it should not require any additional test prep.
3. If parents are really concerned about the loss of instructional time, they should raise arms against the loss of 17 hours of instructional time the last week of the elementary school and Middle School 6th grade year in addition to the countless half days sprinkled throughout the year. Further, Middle School parents should be raising the roof on the waste of 40 instructional hours spent in teaching the children sewing and an additional 40 instructional hours spent teaching the children to build an ipod speaker. The PTA should take an affirmative stand about the loss of these valuable instruction hours throughout the school year.
1.In doing so, the test draftsmen will be able to determine if the proposed test is appropriate for this grade level. In theory, it will provide a better test for the students who follow.
2. If parents are worried about the stress on the children, I suggest that it is appropriate for the children to be exposed to these type tests. With greater exposure to standardized testing, the child is less likely to be stressed with tests that matter such as the PSAT and the SAT.
3. Whether or not this school year has had an inappropriate amount of "teaching for the test" or not is a matter of debate. However, this field test does not require any additional "teaching for the test". It is only a portion of one day. As grades do not count and are not reported to the school, it should not require any additional test prep.
3. If parents are really concerned about the loss of instructional time, they should raise arms against the loss of 17 hours of instructional time the last week of the elementary school and Middle School 6th grade year in addition to the countless half days sprinkled throughout the year. Further, Middle School parents should be raising the roof on the waste of 40 instructional hours spent in teaching the children sewing and an additional 40 instructional hours spent teaching the children to build an ipod speaker. The PTA should take an affirmative stand about the loss of these valuable instruction hours throughout the school year.
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written by Parent and Ed Researcher, June 02, 2012
It is a myth that the tests are objective measurement devices. (Since we are paying money for them, we assume that they must be written and vetted by "professionals.") And as objective measurement devices, the scoring is considered to be objective as well.
The REALITY is something entirely different, and this is something that needs to be brought out into the public forum.
Not only are the questions OFTEN (not just sometimes) stupid, slanted, or both; but the scoring is frequently random, rigid, and not necessarily a measure of actual 'correctness' even on the math tests.
Read Ms. Adventure's blog at www.lolacrabapple.wordpress.com. She has shed light on a truly surreal aspect of the standardized testing story. Also see http://gothamschools.org/2012/...york-city/ about Carolyn Abbott, the "worst 8th grade math teacher in NYC" who points out: "the scoring of the free-response items on the [math] tests emphasizes a formulaic response, with the scoring instructions often looking for a single keyword in a response to garner credit. They’re not accepting answers that are mathematically correct,' Abbott notes, 'and accepting answers that aren’t mathematically correct.'”. This speaks VOLUMES!
Large-scale standardized tests aren't really useful for determining "what students know and can do." That is nonesense. (The most accurate predictor of success in college? Not the SAT, for example. The most accurate predictor--beyond the first semester--is the grades the student received in high school; look it up.) The tests are there to make a lot of money for educorporations who sell test prep materials, tests, scoring services, remedial materials, software, hardware, professional development materials, and so on, and so on. It may not matter (in the short term) to the deep pockets in places like Scarsdale, but it matters to the rest of the population in the country; and in the long term a whole generation is being taught not to think, just to bubble.
The REALITY is something entirely different, and this is something that needs to be brought out into the public forum.
Not only are the questions OFTEN (not just sometimes) stupid, slanted, or both; but the scoring is frequently random, rigid, and not necessarily a measure of actual 'correctness' even on the math tests.
Read Ms. Adventure's blog at www.lolacrabapple.wordpress.com. She has shed light on a truly surreal aspect of the standardized testing story. Also see http://gothamschools.org/2012/...york-city/ about Carolyn Abbott, the "worst 8th grade math teacher in NYC" who points out: "the scoring of the free-response items on the [math] tests emphasizes a formulaic response, with the scoring instructions often looking for a single keyword in a response to garner credit. They’re not accepting answers that are mathematically correct,' Abbott notes, 'and accepting answers that aren’t mathematically correct.'”. This speaks VOLUMES!
Large-scale standardized tests aren't really useful for determining "what students know and can do." That is nonesense. (The most accurate predictor of success in college? Not the SAT, for example. The most accurate predictor--beyond the first semester--is the grades the student received in high school; look it up.) The tests are there to make a lot of money for educorporations who sell test prep materials, tests, scoring services, remedial materials, software, hardware, professional development materials, and so on, and so on. It may not matter (in the short term) to the deep pockets in places like Scarsdale, but it matters to the rest of the population in the country; and in the long term a whole generation is being taught not to think, just to bubble.
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written by Scarsdale Mom, June 01, 2012
I love the schools here and my kids have had wonderful teachers over the years, but frankly this attitude the Board is taking annoys me. Why is Scarsdale too good for these tests? We're too smart for them? If we have that much faith in our schools, the kids should take the test and they'll all do great and it will be little more than an inconvenience. The Board said we're too smart for the AP's and we're down in the rankings for schools across the country while our tax dollars go up. I do have faith in our schools and love our teachers, but we're running the risk of becoming an island unto ourselves. Scarsdale needs to get with the program or our kids will pay the price.
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written by Middle and Elementary School Parent, June 01, 2012
I am so tired of state testing being portrayed as the root of all evil. There is a reason that the content of the tests is what it is -- to make sure that kids are learning what they are supposed to. I am glad there is some measure in place to make sure our children are getting the basics, and teaching to the tests is also teaching to the material they are supposed to be learning. I know the hour or so of seventh grade testing is just to help refine the tests. I liken it to community service. Maybe that is why some parents are up in arms about it.
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written by yet another parent, June 01, 2012
All I ever see and hear from Scarsdale board and educators is a holier-than-thou attitude. Trust us, we're better than everyone else. Well, I don't think the facts support that. And I'm glad we have testing (albeit imperfect) to provide at least some objective measure of how good a Scarsdale education really is. And, judging by the vast amount of tutoring going on outside the schools 4 walls, most parents obviously don't believe it's good enough!
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written by jgerstenblatt, June 01, 2012
Tutoring may be a problem, but it is a separate issue from state testing. Let's stick to the issue at hand.
Some state testing is okay. However, testing in all subjects (like science and social studies in grade 4, like my son has to do, as well as math and reading/writing) is out of hand. Most importantly, teachers should not be assessed based on their students' test results, as they see these kids for 10 months out of their entire lifetimes. Who taught the child before? What's going on in the child's home? How good is the child at test-taking, which is a skill separate from knowing math? Plus, the questions on the exams are sometimes so strange that entire batches of them need to be thrown out, as was the case with this year's 8th grade ELA. Even the standardized test cannot seem to get standardized! People are multidimensional and tests are but one part of a big picture. It is a shame for teachers (who, for the most part, work very hard and get paid much less than many others requiring advanced degrees in their fields) to have a "number" assess them. Imagine this as a teacher: Want the new kid in your class? No thanks, because I don't know how he'll test since he's coming in late in the year and might "mess up my scores." How about kids with special needs and/or learning differences? Perhaps some don't test as well in this situation, but I love to teach all kinds of kids. Huh. But I worry about my public results. And new English language learners? Do I care about educating them or about how my test scores will be affected, which I can't explain or put into context based on my particular population of kids and which will be published in the local newspaper. Competition and fear cannot drive what they do, how they teach, and how they feel about coming to work every day. That's not a good way to motivate anyone to do a great job.
Some state testing is okay. However, testing in all subjects (like science and social studies in grade 4, like my son has to do, as well as math and reading/writing) is out of hand. Most importantly, teachers should not be assessed based on their students' test results, as they see these kids for 10 months out of their entire lifetimes. Who taught the child before? What's going on in the child's home? How good is the child at test-taking, which is a skill separate from knowing math? Plus, the questions on the exams are sometimes so strange that entire batches of them need to be thrown out, as was the case with this year's 8th grade ELA. Even the standardized test cannot seem to get standardized! People are multidimensional and tests are but one part of a big picture. It is a shame for teachers (who, for the most part, work very hard and get paid much less than many others requiring advanced degrees in their fields) to have a "number" assess them. Imagine this as a teacher: Want the new kid in your class? No thanks, because I don't know how he'll test since he's coming in late in the year and might "mess up my scores." How about kids with special needs and/or learning differences? Perhaps some don't test as well in this situation, but I love to teach all kinds of kids. Huh. But I worry about my public results. And new English language learners? Do I care about educating them or about how my test scores will be affected, which I can't explain or put into context based on my particular population of kids and which will be published in the local newspaper. Competition and fear cannot drive what they do, how they teach, and how they feel about coming to work every day. That's not a good way to motivate anyone to do a great job.
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written by 4 kids in Scarsdale School, May 31, 2012
I am for improving the test to make better assessments, but to do away with them is a big mistake, as it would take away the incentive to perform, and leave the door open to mediocrity.
The movement to do away with tests is lead by teachers, who do not want to be compared, then criticized, and we, as parents should not be fooled.
The movement to do away with tests is lead by teachers, who do not want to be compared, then criticized, and we, as parents should not be fooled.
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written by Yet Another Scarsdale Parent, May 31, 2012
And let's not forget the thousands spent without a thought for the SAT prep courses -- yet another standardized test.
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written by 7th Grade Parent, May 31, 2012
Maybe the tests aren't a bad thing. Consider that some teachers aren't doing their jobs but are protected by tenure, it's about time that someone looks at results. The state tests are geared to standardizing a curriculum that is pretty intense. I doubt that Scarsdale covers much more. Enough complaining about teaching to the test. How about ensuring that the teachers are just teaching without all the tutors.
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written by Scarsdale parent, May 31, 2012
The parent quote regarding tutoring is misguided.
In Scarsdale, the problem with NYS tests is that they are below the usual level of learning that goes on. This means it's an inconvenience to lose weeks of curriculum time for testing, especially now that 4 days of testing has expanded to 6.
The time spent on test prep means time taken away from more rigorous teaching and learning and then, teachers disappear for days or weeks to go score the tests, losing even more continuity and high-level learning.
Parents are not as concerned with tutoring for state tests as they are for keeping pace in a high-achieving district like Scarsdale.
I teach in NYC so I can tell you it's even more noble what Scarsdale parents are doing. In my school, most students are years behind grade level but the waste of time is the same, we are losing precious teaching time. If we had more teaching and less testing, there would be more learning and less regurgitating.
The biggest problem in NYS is that they are not consulting educators. All the research in the profession points away from standardized tests and more towards creative and critical thinking, problem solving, college and career readiness in a rapidly advancing world.
New York just took two giant steps backwards in expanding state testing and instituting evaluations that can be wildily subjective and wholly inaccurate. But this is because we never put educators in charge of education, we put politicians in charge.
In Scarsdale, the problem with NYS tests is that they are below the usual level of learning that goes on. This means it's an inconvenience to lose weeks of curriculum time for testing, especially now that 4 days of testing has expanded to 6.
The time spent on test prep means time taken away from more rigorous teaching and learning and then, teachers disappear for days or weeks to go score the tests, losing even more continuity and high-level learning.
Parents are not as concerned with tutoring for state tests as they are for keeping pace in a high-achieving district like Scarsdale.
I teach in NYC so I can tell you it's even more noble what Scarsdale parents are doing. In my school, most students are years behind grade level but the waste of time is the same, we are losing precious teaching time. If we had more teaching and less testing, there would be more learning and less regurgitating.
The biggest problem in NYS is that they are not consulting educators. All the research in the profession points away from standardized tests and more towards creative and critical thinking, problem solving, college and career readiness in a rapidly advancing world.
New York just took two giant steps backwards in expanding state testing and instituting evaluations that can be wildily subjective and wholly inaccurate. But this is because we never put educators in charge of education, we put politicians in charge.
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written by yet another parent, May 31, 2012
Out of control tutoring.....why isn't this given any prominence?
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written by another parent, May 31, 2012
Agree with both parent quoted and 7th Grade Parent. I have heard little protest against the tutoring craze in Scarsdale and similar places, which favors upper middle class kids.
Ironically, it was standardized testing that allowed their parents and grandparents to show their stuff (even though many of them were poor and not tutored) so they sould get ahead in life.
Ironically, it was standardized testing that allowed their parents and grandparents to show their stuff (even though many of them were poor and not tutored) so they sould get ahead in life.
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