by an anonymous Utah student teacher
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Last semester I worked in a first grade classroom as part of a class I was I was taking at Utah Valley University. The teacher said she could do more teaching if she didn’t have to do so much Common Core testing, so she had me do the testing. These children have 4 packets, 20-25 pages each, they have to get through during the year. Part of this is a list of 100 words, 400 for the year, they need to know by sight. As I was testing, one little boy he stopped and said, “I don’t like words. I don’t like reading. I don’t like books.”
My heart broke.
I went to our library here in town and checked out as many books as I could. I went back to school every day and pulled him out of class to read just one book to him. At first he was hesitant because he thought he was going to have to read to me. Eventually he relaxed and started enjoying. He got so he would even turn the pages on occasion. We read one book, “The Red Book,” which has no words in it. You make up the story yourself. When we finished I asked him if he’d rather read a book like this or would he rather have a book with the words already there.
He preferred a book with words in it. This went on for several weeks.
Then they had a reading competition in the classroom. On Friday whoever read the most books that week got to wear the pirate hat. I came in one Friday and he was wearing the pirate hat.
I was thrilled.
Since then it has occurred to me that I should talk to the principal. How would he feel if someone came into his office and tested him regularly, and often, to see whether he is making any progress, getting everything done that he should do, etc.? He would probably quit his job if he was under such testing regulations, and still they put these little kids through all this stress.
This teacher has eighteen students. Within a week I could tell which six children were working above grade level, which 6 children were working at grade level, and which 6 children were working below grade level. This was simply from my observations, not from any testing I was doing. Six children took the assignments and whizzed through them. Six children took the assignments and worked through them, but eventually they got there. Six children got very little of the assignments done without help, and in some cases a lot of help. Obviously, Common Core upsets me. I’m sure there is some good there, and there are good intentions, but they are way off base.
I would like to point out that no first graders take a “common core” or SAGE assessment in first grade. They do have to take a reading assessment per the state legislatures for SB 150. This bill was passed before any of the Common Core and SAGE assessment began. Please follow the link for the bill http://le.utah.gov/~2010/bills/static/SB0150.html
This bill is to determine who is and is not on reading level. This can only be done via a reading assessment. I would think that any parent would like to know how well their child is doing, especially in reading. I would hate for a teacher to just tell me that they think my child is on, below, or above reading level without some sort of actual proof.
As far as the amount of testing and the frequency that is up to the school or district. So, I would think that would speak toward “local control”. I guess you can argue that SB 150 dictates the frequency ,and that is only 3 times year. Is 3 times within a year too much? I guess that could be up for debate but that was not what this post was indicating.
So, for this UVU student I would like for her to fully understand what she/he is claiming prior to writing a post on this. If she had a problem with the frequency of the assessment and what is was doing to the students she/he could have done the following: talk to the teacher, talk to the principal, talk to her field supervisor or whomever sent her over to that class, read current scientific articles on child development and assessment. If she was in such disagreement with the frequency why did she blame the Common Core? Does she not know what the common core is? The CC does not prescribe the frequency of any assessment. That is up to local leaders to decide. Again please review your facts before posting.
On a side note, I would hate for a student teacher to tell me what level my Kinder or 2nd grader is reading on without some formal observation tool/assessment being used. It is like if I was to go to a student-nurse and she says based on my experience you have this illness and she never did any type of test to actually see what I had.
I am not familiar with all the legal-ese, but I do know that last year my Kindergartener had a “test” of either reading or math concepts about every other week.
The tests had to be administered one-to-one. As I helped out in class, which all the parents were urged to do via sign-up sheets at the beginning of the year, sometimes I was asked to give the tests, pulling kids away from what the rest of the class was working on. There was usually one, sometimes two parents, the teacher and a part-time aide there so the kids could get through everything they were supposed to do.
That testing was a LOT, very time consuming, and my daughter came home more than once in tears because she didn’t get 100% and the usual sticker for a free hamburger from a local restaurant. (I those gimmicks, btw, just another way businesses are using the school system to make money.)
That is sad to see that your child is being tested on such a regular basis. I would say that is way too much. I would say that is what the school, district, and maybe even the teacher feels like they need to do. I would suggest talking with the school and see why the feel like this frequent testing is helping them meet your child’s need. I would think that they, as professionals, would be able to answer your question/concerns.
I would hate for my own daughter to go through that experience…and in fact I had a child that did experience that…and that was pre CC implementation. I spoke to the teacher and we had a great conversation and things actually did change.I felt like I did make a positive difference and helped to ensure that we maintained local control.
Again, I am so sorry to hear that experience with a child. That makes me sad. I
Thanks for posting Mark. It appears the student teacher got from the actual teacher that there was too much Common Core testing going on so I don’t blame the student teacher if that’s incorrect. I’m not sure if this teacher had other obligations to use CC tests, or what the local school had chosen to do but she obviously felt that some type of assessment was hindering her ability to work directly with the children that needed additional help. I do believe we over-assess our children. I also agree with a comment that state school board candidate Joel Wright made that we need to correct the stigma of children being at different skill levels in the same grade and allow for children to be with children of other ages, whether above or below them in a particular skill area. It makes more sense to me to allow for children to be with similarly skilled students and work at their own pace. Children are gifted differently and every teacher has students who are above or below grade level.
Reading the student teacher’s comments again, this could be a form of Common Core testing going on. It’s not SAGE testing, but with Common Core fully implemented, this may just be the first grade unit’s assessments for the classrooms that may be extremely frustrating to some children.
**”I would think that any parent would like to know how well their child is doing, especially in reading. I would hate for a teacher to just tell me that they think my child is on, below, or above reading level without some sort of actual proof.”
It seems to me that any parent who cares, could just sit down and read with their child and they will know within 5 minutes how well their child is doing in reading.
Shanon,
That is true, any parent who cares could sit down with their child and know how well their child is doing. I would argue that most parents who do care about their child sits down and read with their child on a regular basis.
However, would any parent know how well their child is doing compared to other students their age? Would any parent who cares have the experience and knowledge of determining if their child is really on grade level. Can any parent who cares even define what “on level means”? Could any parent who cares compare their child to a set of standards that will lead them to be successful when they are older? Could any parent who cares know what on “grade level” is for each grade a child progresses through? Could any parent who cares know how to help diagnose what reading strategy/skill their child needs to learn in order to progress? It is through a diagnostic or an assessment that allows the teacher to determine what specific areas in reading a student is struggling in and then use appropriate instructional strategies to best help the child become a better reader.
I am not saying that teachers should assess weekly or daily or even monthly. I am saying that it is wise for a teacher to use an appropriate tool to determine what a child knows and doesn’t know. This may only occur once a year or maybe once every few months. I don’t think we need to over react and make assessments to be evil, and I am not saying you are. I would argue the frequency of giving the assessment but not assessments as a whole or a set of standards that do not dictate the frequency of assessments.
I would like to mention that if any parent who cares to sit down with their child for 5 minutes and listen to their child read to see how well their child is doing…is doing what a teacher is doing….assessing the child’s reading.