The group of local citizens that is evolving from the Reign of Error (Diane Ravitch) book discussion group is interested in learning about high stakes testing in our schools. They are interested in collecting first-hand accounts of how testing affects you, your students and how you teach. The overall goal of this group is to find actions that can be taken that are generally in concert with Ravitch’s ideas and that improve our schools and support public education.
Members of the group are proposing to interview teachers individually, using questions similar to those I have copied below. (That doesn't mean that anyone has to stick to a script but only that members of the group have suggested these questions.)
If you would like to be interviewed, please email Susie Kaeser at susankaeser@sbcglobal.net.
If you have information you would like to share but would prefer not to be interviewed, you can instead write a response that addresses your personal experiences. These can be emailed to Susie at the above address or to me at bschaner@chtu.org.
If enough of you can participate, a picture of how standardized high stakes testing is affecting us and our students can be prepared and used as a launching pad for community action. The people in this group support teachers and public education here in the Heights – we should welcome their involvement and should help them as much as we can. This is worth spending some time on.
Thanks for considering doing this. BTW, if you have not read Reign of Error, you should. It is practically your professional duty to do so. Just sayin'.
Brian Schaner
CHTU V.P.
Possible Interview Questions:
1. What grade and subjects do you currently teach?
2. How long have you been teaching?
3. What is your philosophy of education?
4. What do you think is the purpose of administering standardized tests?
5. In terms of curriculum development, how do standardized tests guide your process? Do standardized tests hinder the process of curriculum development in any way?
6. How have the requirements for standardized testing shaped the teaching methods you use in your classroom?
7. Knowing that your students will be taking standardized tests, what type of assessments do you use in the classroom?
7a. How often do you use these assessments?
7b. How do you use this data?
8. If standardized testing were removed, would you do anything differently in terms of the way you develop the curriculum? If yes, what? If no, why not?
9. If standardized testing were removed, would you use different teaching methods in your classroom? If yes, what? If no why not?
10. If standardized testing were removed, would you do anything differently in terms of assessment in order to assure you were covering the required material?
11. Is there anything else you would like to add to our discussion?
1) The legislature adopted testing as a way to make schools more effective. Please comment on the effect on testing on student success.
2) Now that test scores will be used to evaluate you, how has it changed what you do and your morale.