Study: Kids take 100-plus required tests through 12th grade

[decocker 7,198]

Students, parents and teachers have long lamented the hours that kids spend taking standardized tests, especially since the introduction of the Common Core academic standards. But just how much time each year is it?

A. Between 10-15 hours.

B. Between 20-25 hours.

C. Between 30-35 hours.

The correct answer is "B," according to a comprehensive study of 66 of the nation's big-city school districts by the Council of the Great City Schools. It said testing amounts to about 2.3 percent of classroom time for the average eighth-grader in public school. Between pre-K and 12th grade, students took about 112 mandatory standardized exams.

The study analyzed the time spent actually taking the tests, but it did not include the hours devoted to preparation ahead of the testing required by the federal government, states or local districts. It also did not include regular day-to-day classroom quizzes and tests in reading, math, science, foreign languages and more.

In connection with the study's release Saturday, President Barack Obama called for capping standardized testing at 2 percent of classroom time. Even while acknowledging that the government shares some responsibility for an over-emphasis on testing, the president said federal officials would work with states, schools and teachers to "make sure that we're not obsessing about testing."

The Obama administration still supports annual standardized tests as a necessary assessment tool, and both House and Senate versions of an update to the No Child Left Behind law would continue annual testing. But the rewrite legislation would let states decide how to use test results to determine what to do with struggling schools. Differences between the two bills still need to be worked out.

"Learning is about so much more than just filling in the right bubble," Obama said in a video released on Facebook. "So we're going to work with states, school districts, teachers, and parents to make sure that we're not obsessing about testing."

To drive the point home, Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan scheduled an Oval Office meeting Monday with teachers and school officials working to reduce testing time.

note that we're only talking about testing time here, no mention of hour many classroom hours are spent teaching the tests.

in my personal opinion, we need to get back to teaching kids how to learn and think for themselves. the amount of time that is spent on preparing for testing far surpasses the amount of time actually taking the tests. from personal experience, if you have a kid who doesn't do well with standardized testing, you'll find that once they get to middleschool, highschool - they will be tagged as a 'potential dropout' and all of their classroom assignments, teachers, etc will be tailored to preparing them for entry level employment. which back in the day would include shop or technology or beauty school (lol). but if you live in an underfunded public school system, those avenues are dead ends. now i guess entry level employment is fast food and retail, which - who needs a hs diploma for that?

[canadian_wife 1,822]

If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking that its stupid ~ Albert Einstein

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking that its stupid ~ Albert Einstein

I have heard that before recently

[Teddy B 17,252]

It's like deja vu all over again.

[decocker 7,198]

just like before the last time.

[Teddy B 17,252]

But even better!