Comments on: Take the Test! http://www.teachingscience20.com/2008/09/take-the-test/ Teaching Tips (and Ramblings) Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:23:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ron Amundson http://www.teachingscience20.com/2008/09/take-the-test/#comment-730 Ron Amundson Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:43:28 +0000 http://www.ericbrunsell.com/?p=25#comment-730 I think its an entirely reasonable for an 11th grader to possess such a knowledge base. The concern I have, is whether scores on such a test would be based upon rote response, or a higher level of thinking... a cursory read of a assortment of questions seems to indicate its the later, but anything can be gamed and prepared for. It would be terrible to expand NCLB and its seemingly solitary emphasis on rote response across other subject areas. Its bad enough its used in reading and math. That being said... what could be done to get us to such a point. I'm an older fellow, and during my time as a 17 year old I'm pretty sure I as well as many of my peers could likely pass such an exam. During the last 25 years or so, have things in education really deteriorated such that passing would be a rarity? If so, whats your thoughts on the root cause(s) and how to rememdy such? I think its an entirely reasonable for an 11th grader to possess such a knowledge base. The concern I have, is whether scores on such a test would be based upon rote response, or a higher level of thinking… a cursory read of a assortment of questions seems to indicate its the later, but anything can be gamed and prepared for. It would be terrible to expand NCLB and its seemingly solitary emphasis on rote response across other subject areas. Its bad enough its used in reading and math.

That being said… what could be done to get us to such a point. I’m an older fellow, and during my time as a 17 year old I’m pretty sure I as well as many of my peers could likely pass such an exam. During the last 25 years or so, have things in education really deteriorated such that passing would be a rarity? If so, whats your thoughts on the root cause(s) and how to rememdy such?

]]>