Highlights  from  Testing  Q  and  A’s  with  Anna  Allanbrook,  BNS  Principal  *  January,  2014  

How  Do  The  State  Tests  Affect  Children  and  Teachers?     Anna:    

The   children   are   very   aware   (of   the   tests).    Even   the   younger   kids   are   aware   as   their   schedules   are   changed.    Kids   know   they   have   to   be   quiet   in   the   halls.    It   impacts   and   affects   everyone   in   the   entire   school,   and   (last   year)   things   got   crazy.    Children   broke   down   crying.    We   saw   stomachaches,   poor   behavior   at   lunch,   children   who   were   upset.    This   was   true   for   children   who   did   fine   on   the   test,   and   those   that   had   trouble.    It   affected   all   children.   There   is   a   tremendous   pressure   on   children   to   do   well,   and   get   every   question   right.    We  were  very  upset  with  the  way  children  were  feeling.  

   

Diane/3rd   grade   teacher:     Part   of   this   was   that   children   were   forced   to   behave   in   a   different   way.    This   is   hard   for   them.    Teachers   cannot   help   children   with   questions.     Children   are   treated  differently  during  a  test  than  any  other  day  of  the  year.    It  is  very  frustrating  for  the   children.    I   work   with   children   with   special   needs,   many   with   IEPs,   and   a   lot   of   the   frustration  is  that  the  children  are  not  ready  nor  able  to  handle  what  they  are  being  asked   to   do.    That   feeling   inside   them   builds.    They   go   to   lunch/recess   and   the   conflicts   are   really   intense.    Our   5th   grade   mediators   (who   have   also   taken   the   tests)   are   trying   to   resolve   conflicts  and  they  are  fried  too.      

Anna:      

The  state  did  respond  to  our  concerns  about  the  IEP  children.  For  a  child  who  has  a  reading   disability  -­‐  let’s  say  you  are  in  3rd  grade  and  are  reading  at  the  1st  grade  level.    If  you  are  in   3rd   grade,   you   are   given   the   3rd   grade   test   (regardless   of   ability   level).    That   child   is   not   going   to   be   even   able   to   read   the   first   question   on   the   test.   The   state   has   put   out   a   statement  that  they  will  change  that,  but  it  will  not  be  changed  for  this  year.    This  is  also  a   concern  for  English  Language  Learners  (ELL).    Only  5%  of  ELL  passed  the  test.    What  does   that   tell   us?    It   tells   us   nothing.    They   need   to   rethink   the   test.    For   this   year,   these   children   are   still   being   subjected   to   these   tests.    It   impacts   how   they   feel   about   themselves.    It   can   make  them  feel  stupid.    It  is  a  big  message  they  are  being  told,  and  it  is  wrong.  

       

       

    Anna:      

   

A  part  of  the  teacher’s  grade  will  be  about  how  the  test  scores  change  from  one  grade  to  the   next.   (IE:   from   3rd   to   4th,   from   4th   to   5th.)    This   is   the   first   year   of   this.    We’ll   see   how   this   will   work.    These   scores   will   also   impact   the   grade   for   the   art   teacher,   the   gym   teacher,   the   kindergarten   teacher   -­‐   everyone’s   evaluation   will   be   based   on   how   the   scores   changed   between   grade   3   to   grade   5.    All   of   the   teachers   in   our   school   are   evaluated   on   the   tests   the   kids   are   taking   in   the   higher   grades.    This   is   not   right.    The   children   who   opt   out   will   not   have  a  negative  impact  on  this  process.  

   

 

                Anna:      

Yes,   that   does   happen   here.   We   spend   a   lot   of   time   getting   ready   for   administering   the   tests.   During   testing   days,   the   art   room   isn’t   used   for   art,   the   music   room   isn’t   used   for   music,   thus   there   is   no   music   or   art   at   all   on   those   days.     School   as   we   know   it   stops   on   the   days   of   the   testing.    After   the   tests,   I   lose   3   teachers   in   total   for   3   weeks   for   grading   the   tests.    Therefore,   we   lose   3   weeks   of   teaching   (in   addition   to   the   6   days   of   testing,   plus   additional  days  for  make  up  tests).    The  money  for  this  comes  out  of  our  budget.  

    The  next  Testing  Q  and  A  Highlights  will  focus  on  questions  about  opting  out  of  the  state  tests.     To  read  the  full  notes  of  these  meetings  go  to:   http://www.bns146.org/content/parent-­‐action-­‐committee-­‐pac