A Waste of Time

     This is around the time of year for the standardized tests to be taken. As you probably already heard, many states took over "common core standards" which were written by the federal government. Actually all but four states took over these standards, though Minnesota only took the English language arts standards (ELA). Three states withdrew from the standards in 2014. According to the Banger Daily News, "Common Core opponents cite a litany of concerns about the standards, ranging from overzealous expectations of students at lower grade levels and failing to challenge older students to complaints that the federal government shouldn’t be determining state education standards." 

     As a result of these harder standards, harder tests are given. In New Mexico, we are giving what is called the PARCC test. I do think that students need to be tested to make sure they are living up to the standards for their grade level, but the amount of testing we are doing seems a bit excessive. This entire week at school, we are spending the majority of the time giving these exams. We have five sessions that are given, each of them timed. This isn't really an issue because you are allowed too much time to finish a particular section. Part of the reason these tests are taking so much learning time is because they are computerized and our school does not have enough computers to test all 600 of our students at the same time. The school also has to be very quiet while we are testing, so classes can not go on while the other grade is testing. 

     New Mexico is having a problem with students walking out and protesting the tests. The tests really aren't that difficult, but they have several errors. We don't even see the results for another seven months and by then they don't mean anything anymore, so there really isn't a point to taking the tests. Also, the tests take so much class time away, considering the fact that we take a progressing PARCC test and then two weeks later, a end of year PARCC test. I really think these tests are pointless and a waste of our time.