Every day for the past three weeks I've watched my intensive reading group struggle through the state reading test. During the painstakingly long process they have been missing out on much needed reading and math instruction to work on a test that would be the equivalent of an adult taking a test in a language unfamiliar to him or her. They leave the computer lab with a bleak contentment with having completed another story. Prior to testing I have been instructed to teach them "testing skills" rather than language, reading strategies, an appreciation for reading, or even phonics. More instruction missed. And when we do get to reading we work in our mandated curriculum, reading leveled readers that make so little sense that I struggle coming up with meaningful comprehension questions let alone questions that inspire higher order thinking.
But, the testing will determine our school's fate so we keep investing every moment in passing the test. What has happened to education? I watch as schools cut recess, P.E., art, our school has limited social studies, science, and health down to one half hour block per week. At least we still have P.E. every day, that's more than most schools can say. We are stripping all the joy from education and wondering why we have so many behavior problems...
Check out this article from the Oregonian by Sally Angaran.
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