High-stakes Testing, School Grades, and the Common CoreNM REFUSE THE TEST

UNITED OPT OUT – NEW MEXICO

KRIS L. NIELSEN

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Let’s Talk About the NCLB Waiver

New Mexico’s Waiver approved February 2011

This means:• No more AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)• Tie school and educator evaluations together• “Flexibility” with Federal funds• Accountability for growth, as well as proficiency

using test scores

Let’s Talk About the NCLB Waiver

Three “principles” that guide PED:

Principle I: All students “college and career ready”• Adopt college and career ready standards (CCR)• Common Core State Standards (CCSS)• NM standards since 1999, approved by USDOE• Transitioning to CCSS• Planning grant from Kellogg Foundation• Alignment between NM and CCSS by WestEd

(private corporation run by “reformers”)

Let’s Talk About the NCLB WaiverThree “principles” that guide PED:

Principle I: All students “college and career ready”• By 2015, all grade levels will be aligned to CCSS

and will be testing on performance on new curriculum• Including K – 3, which took new tests last spring• Grades 4 – 12 will take new tests this spring

• Extra “support” for ELLs and students with special needs• Translation: more math and ELA time, loss of

electives, longer school days

Let’s Talk About the NCLB Waiver

Three “principles” that guide PED:

Principle I: All students “college and career ready”• Annual Statewide Assessments (PARCC)• 2012: Dual alignment for K-3 (Bridge)• 2013: Dual alignment for 4-12 (Bridge)• 2014: PARCC fully implemented• Standards, curriculum, assessment• Lots, I mean LOTS, of assessment.

Let’s Talk About the NCLB WaiverThree “principles” that guide PED:

Principle II: School Accountability• School Grading System (A – F)• Straight copy of Florida system: also used in OK,

RI, IN• Grade is 90% dependent on test scores (over 3

years)• HS is 60% (comes to 85% after CCR measures)• CCR measures for HS: taking a college-readiness

exam, e.g. SAT or ACT or COMPASS.• 5% for participating; 10% for reaching

benchmark

Let’s Talk About the NCLB Waiver

Three “principles” that guide PED:

Principle III: Principal and Teacher Accountability• Teacher evaluation: 50% test scores, 25%

observation, 25% other stuff• Principal evaluation: 50% school grade, 25% other

stuff, 25% using the teacher eval with “fidelity.”

Why does this mean for my child(ren) and the schools?

Let’s start with the tests

NM Standards-Based Assessments (SBA)

End-of-Course tests (EoC) (mainly used in high school)

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

PED-approved “formative” assessments Discovery Education

Riverside Testing (Houghton-Mifflin)

NWEA MAP testing (no longer authorized by PED)REFUSE!

Why should I refuse?1. Standardized Testing takes away approximately 25% of our children's academic school

year.

2. Standardized Testing gives teachers incentives to "teach to the test" instead of

nurturing higher order thinking skills.

3. Standardized Testing teaches children that there is only one right answer in academics

and in life.

4. Standardized Testing costs millions of dollars of taxpayer money to produce and

thousands of dollars of our school district's money to implement.

5. Standardized Testing encourages our best teachers to seek other careers where their

expertise is valued.

6. Standardized Testing is developmentally destructive for specific age groups.

Why should I refuse?

7. Standardized Testing is creating corruption among schools where school

districts are cheating on test scoring.

8. Standardized Testing is creating corruption among students where students

are purposely scoring poorly to negatively affect teachers that they don’t like.

9. Standardized Testing gives teachers incentive to care more about their

teacher evaluation than they do about children

10.Standardized Testing uses our children as tools to evaluate school districts,

schools, and teachers. Students do not even get a chance to learn from their

mistakes. In fact, they never see the test after they take it.

A. This is What Parents Want Their Children to Learn

B. This is What Determines if Your Child’s School Gets Closed

ANY QUESTIONS?

Collaboration Life Skills Debating

Research Skills Public Speaking Enjoyment of Learning

Reading Out Loud Sociology 3-D Thinking

Critical Thinking Self-Awareness Historical Literature

Planning Skills Philosophy Current Literature

Art Morals Theater

Intrapersonal Skills Relationships Ethics

Self-Confidence Music History

Physical Activity Spatial Relations Naturalism

Work Ethics Self-Control Freedom

Playing Science Creativity

Psychology Technology Business

Government ELA Math

Flawed

ELA/Math

State Tests

School Grades

90% based on standardized test scores Used in principal and some teacher

evaluations Oversimplified method to describe complex

scenarios Leave out important characteristics of schools Minimize importance of attempts to make

learning and environment meaningful

Teacher Evaluations

Officially 50% based on test scores, but with growth measures included, it’s more like 65%

Other measures are minimized – observations, opportunity to learn, professional reflection

10% based on surveys (also junk science) and/or teacher attendanceTeachers are allowed 10 sick days. If they

were to need those sick days, they would receive an “ineffective” for that portion of the evaluation

Value-Added Measures

Based on test scores Compare one class to two other classes (3-year average) Control for a small set of factors; ignore other important factors Only valid for 20% of teachers in any given study Even VAM experts call this “junk science” when applied to high-

stakes testing scenarios Reports to NM Legislative Finance Committee point to the

limitations of VAM, but PED is going forward regardless

Student Evaluation? SBA and EOCs do a terrible job of evaluating student capabilities

There are simply too many factors that affect them and many essential skills and abilities cannot be tested by these instruments

EOCs and SBA are designed to evaluate teachers and schools, not students, and even that designation is invalid

This year (2014), high school students must pass EOCs in math, language arts, science, and social studies in order to receive a diploma Regardless of other measures of high school academic performance

Tests do not provide any reliable data about readiness for the next step

The Foundation: Common Core Designed by policy advisor and team of lawyers and assorted non-educators.

Reviewed by a panel, which included some content experts and one teacher. (Two of those experts are currently touring the country speaking against CCSS.

Funded heavily by corporate interests, who have little interest in student learning, and vested, financial interest in outcomes.

Never field-tested, not research-based, no evidence of efficacy, not internationally benchmarked in any meaningful way.

Designed to have national curriculum aligned, and to be tested nationally at all grade levels.

No diversity in learning or culture, or in student differences and desires (background or plans for the future).

Goes against cognitive research over decades; has only utilitarian interests.

Designed to separate the “cans” from the “can’ts.” Student ranking for future workforce.

What Should You Do? Learn what you can about this system – educate yourself

and others Ask teachers and principals what tests your child is taking

and why Bookmark http://nmrefuse.weebly.com and visit very

often Join the Facebook group NM Refuse the Tests and join the

conversation and ask questions Ask your school for the Parent Refusal form and turn it in The most important way to change this course is to

boycott the product that is hurting our kids – the tests!

Refuse the Tests, New Mexico!

It’s the only way to save our kids and their schools!