ISTEP Silliness

From the Jackson County Tribune

The editorial cartoon addresses the computer failures that occurred across the State during the recent ISTEP testing. I'd never really thought about this aspect of the testing procedure but a test designed to be given and graded on a computer can't be all that good for the intended purpose of checking the level of a students learning and all the other things that come along with that, such as teacher evaluations and the resultant salary decisions, and the grade the school will receive and all that brings with it. Seems that a test designed to be given by and graded by a computer is best used to measure those things easily graded by a computer not true educational progress.

My buddy Kevin sent me a link to a newspaper article that highlights the views of West Lafayette Superintendent of Schools, Rocky Killian. He's all over the silliness of the testing mania and will have a documentary called Rise Above the Mark out soon. I'm looking forward to seeing the film. Killian has a very common sense approach to education and a very successful one. I mentioned the other day in a post that I felt that the pendulum was starting to swing back the other way. When the film comes out, coupled with this year's testing fiasco and the new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, maybe things will start to improve. We can only hope.