Dawson Turn-Around
March 2, 2011Abbott Update Redux
March 3, 2011Quotes of the Day
NJEA President Barbara Keshishian in a new press release warns against tying teacher evaluations to student test scores:
We believe student test scores have a place in the evaluation process but we also agree with highly regarded researchers that they should not play a determining role in high-stakes personnel decisions. There are a lot of flashing yellow lights suggesting policymakers should proceed with caution before putting too much emphasis on test score improvement.
Acting Comm. Cerf responds to NJEA’s concerns in the Star-Ledger:
[T] he union’s position includes “a complete lack of sophistication…They are just fundamentally opposed to having teachers accountable for student learning. And that’s not in the best interests of children,” Cerf said.
1 Comment
I feel like the reaction is treating the NJEA President's statement as though she had said, “Student test scores should count for nothing.” The reaction is too harsh.
To be honest, the issue is not that teachers should be accountable for student progress (because of course they should be) but that the methods of monitoring their progress is unsound.
A teacher could guarantee that each of his or her students would score an Advanced on their LEAP or other state test by running drills, drills, drills, but that teacher would be a less effective educator in that the preparation for testing would come at the expense of meaningful assignments that foster engagement between students and material.
I guess I'm trying to say that it is a nuanced issue, and it's dangerous to treat these tests as too much more than “CYA” tools for folks at various levels of the educational process (as opposed to accurate reflections of a student's ability).