April 13, 2018 STAAR Edition Pt. 3
3. TEA (Texas Education Agency) abruptly stopped accommodations for Special Education students a few years ago. They now take the same test as everybody else. Believing that a child with a learning disability could and should perform to the same standards as a kids without a disability is ridiculous. I do not discredit students that are labeled as some can perform just fine. However, that is not the case for most and is discouraging. Go protest TEA and this nonsense.
3a. Special Education students scores do NOT affect their promotion but do affect your passing percentage and the schools rating. So they are expected to not pass but you are punished if they don't....twice over.
4. For English Language Learners the stakes are just as high. I understand why reading needs to be in English because it's our unofficial language. BUT shouldn't an appropriate test be created for their level of English Mastery? Math and science are about understanding and application. Should that test not be put in their native language to demonstrate mastery? Math and science are universal. So if they can do it any language they know it right? Did they not learn?
4a. Calling a student remedial or a failure because they can't do something in English is silly. It negates the students and teachers hard work...yea yea yea this is 'Merica but if that's the case don't compare us to any other nation if they are not taking exams in English
4b. ELL students do get an accommodated test. An online version that defines words and reads aloud and such. It is hell to get students to receive this level of accommodation. You and the student can get a lot accomplished through pointing and google translate? Good enough to take the non-accommodated version!
5. All in all standardized testing is a f***ed up. Beyond the over-testing and teaching the the test, the test compared to the curriculum and all of those issues, it's just a terrible measure of intelligence and learning. If what I described is bad now, wait two weeks when I get the scores back and I describe that doozy of a situation.
3a. Special Education students scores do NOT affect their promotion but do affect your passing percentage and the schools rating. So they are expected to not pass but you are punished if they don't....twice over.
4. For English Language Learners the stakes are just as high. I understand why reading needs to be in English because it's our unofficial language. BUT shouldn't an appropriate test be created for their level of English Mastery? Math and science are about understanding and application. Should that test not be put in their native language to demonstrate mastery? Math and science are universal. So if they can do it any language they know it right? Did they not learn?
4a. Calling a student remedial or a failure because they can't do something in English is silly. It negates the students and teachers hard work...yea yea yea this is 'Merica but if that's the case don't compare us to any other nation if they are not taking exams in English
4b. ELL students do get an accommodated test. An online version that defines words and reads aloud and such. It is hell to get students to receive this level of accommodation. You and the student can get a lot accomplished through pointing and google translate? Good enough to take the non-accommodated version!
5. All in all standardized testing is a f***ed up. Beyond the over-testing and teaching the the test, the test compared to the curriculum and all of those issues, it's just a terrible measure of intelligence and learning. If what I described is bad now, wait two weeks when I get the scores back and I describe that doozy of a situation.
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