standardized testing is lame
After reading this article, http://www.komotv.com/news/story.asp?ID=38876 I just can’t believe how damn rediculous this whole thing is.
Let’s take a look at what the WASL is all about. Taken from http://www.sbe.wa.gov/faq_pages/WASL.htm
Q: What is the Washington Assessment of Student Learning?
A: The Washington Assessment of Student Learning(WASL) is a means of measuring student achievement of the state’s rigorous new academic standards in reading, writing, mathematics, and other core subjects. The WASL is administered at the elementary, middle and high school levels. It is designed to help teachers refine instructional strategies, increase student achievement and provide data on the performance of schools and districts over time.
Get that? It’s a measurement for comparing SCHOOLS and evaulating teaching methods. It was never meant to rank individual students. I remember taking the WASL’s back when they were first introduced, and now to see that they plan on making their craked out test a graduation requirement is just nuts.
“I think it’s going make employers look at the Class of 2008 and beyond as more qualified”
Trust me, if you’ve just graduated highschool and are looking for a job where they would actually give a second glance at your WASL scores, then you my friend are already overqualified.
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:07 am
Haha, you’re thinking like a teacher. Next thing you know you’ll have grey hair and shit.
One of the main ideas behind WASL was that it could identify where students need reinforcement in subject matter. The nice thing about it was that you have 3 tests, so 4th grade could be overall where are you struggling, 7th is where you’ve improved and what needs work, and 10th grade kind of is a “Let’s see what we can cram into your head before you walk.”