Core Knowledge board member Diane Ravitch is advocating testing that goes well beyond simply bubbling in answers to multiple choice reading and math tests. Our pre-eminent education historian is worried about history education. “I also worry about the future of literature, the arts, and all the other subjects that are left out by today’s policymakers,” says Ravitch. “Is the answer to test them all? I would say not. With so many tests, there would be no time for instruction or reading or projects or discussion or activities.”
Writing for the History News Network, Ravitch notes the time available for history and other subjects “is being squeezed by legislative efforts to boost reading and math skills in grades 3-8, as well as the so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects in middle schools and high schools.” Hence Ravitch’s co-chairing Common Core, which debuted last week “to advocate on behalf of the subjects that are neglected by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation and by pending STEM legislation.”
“The board of CC is not opposed to testing. We view it as a necessary but not sufficient part of education,” Ravitch writes. “For myself, I would prefer to see development and implementation of more thoughtful kinds of testing than those that are now in general use; in particular, I would hope for new tests that call on students to describe, analyze, explain, and demonstrate what they know and can do, not just asking them to pick a bubble.”
“American education is in serious trouble today,” Ravitch concludes. “The people in the drivers’ seats mistakenly think they are running a business, with a bottom line. They have forgotten—or maybe they don’t know—that our schools are responsible for educating future citizens who will need and hopefully use far more than basic skills.”
”American education is in serious trouble today,” Ravitch concludes. ”The people in the drivers’ seats mistakenly think they are running a business, with a bottom line.
Pah. If that were true, we would be out of business. Our nation spends nearly $10,000 per student every nine months. Private schools are about half that. Some business model, when your competition is selling the same or better product for half price, and homeschooling is a double-digit growth industry.
They have forgotten—or maybe they don’t know—that our schools are responsible for educating future citizens who will need and hopefully use far more than basic skills.”
I think Ravitch has created a straw man here.
Everyone’s all for learning “more” than just the basics. However, it’s difficult for us rubes out here to understand exactly how one can learn “more” without knowing the basics first.
The reason the whole testing game started was because the job teaching the basics wasn’t getting done! So the, “Just let us teach content but please don’t test us so often on the basics because they will learn that stuff later you meanie business people!” sounds a little fishy.