Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, March 9, 2015

Is your third grader a failure?  Of course not - But the Common Core Test will say they are. - Wait What?

Is your third grader a failure?  Of course not - But the Common Core Test will say they are. - Wait What?:



Is your third grader a failure?  Of course not – But the Common Core Test will say they are.







 Parents – No matter the age of your child, please read this article:

It was U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan who exclaimed that the goal of the “education reform” industry was to create a public education system in which we’d be able to look every second grader in the eye and tell them whether or not they were on track to get a college education or have a good career.
The comment is bizarre, incredible and more than a little scary considering it is not only inappropriate, but impossible, to know what will arise in the future of an eight year old.
But supporters of “education reform” actually brag that their Common Core standards and Common Core Testing Scheme will ensure that every child will college and career ready by the time they finish 12th grade.
Earlier today, Diane Ravitch posted an absolutely MUST READ piece about an analysis of the Common Core English Language Arts Test that is being given to third graders this spring in New York State.
The analysis was written by Kevin Glynn, an elementary teacher in Long Island, New York.
New York educator analyzed the third grade questions on the Common Core PARCC Test.  Connecticut students will be using Common Core SBAC Test, a parallel version of the PARCC Test.
The New York teacher discovered that the language used in the 3rd Grade Common Core Test was, “far above the level they could understand.”
Glynn wrote,
“In English Language Arts tests, the grade level appropriateness of text used is a gray area. Some would argue that it is perfectly fine for third graders to be assessed using texts with readability levels of 5th and 6th graders. But even the champions of rigor must adhere to the golden rule of testing- the questions MUST be written on the grade level you are attempting to assess. It only makes sense. Students can’t answer questions that they do not understand. These tests are constructed for ALL students in a given grade level and therefore it is imperative that the questions are grade appropriate.”
He added,
“As a former test developer for Pearson, PARCC, CTB, and NYSED we were 
Is your third grader a failure?  Of course not - But the Common Core Test will say they are. - Wait What?: