How Do Children In Your State Test? (Interactive States Map)

[Whoa_Nelly]

Go this link for the TIME Interactive by state results. Read at the right of the map to understand the numbers as shown when you rollover any state.

http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,1625123,00.html

[Radical Activist]

1. Interesting.

[JohnnyLib2]

2. Not even one state is above national in reading?

Is that what others see?

And very few in math.

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. NCLB: Working hard to reduce effective education

One state at a time.

[sandnsea]

5. I'm getting a state vs nat difficulty comparison

Not a grading of students passing tests. Did I miss something?

Although bringing state standards up to a national level is another area of reform Obama is addressing.

[JohnnyLib2]

6. Yes, state vs. national difficulty

Maybe the topic heading is confusing. ??

[Whoa_Nelly]

11. One factor that has changed the scores

is the inclusion of SpEd students in the total number, rather than being assessed as a separate group, all in the name of total fudning to school/district and state level funding.

The interactive map is pretty simplistic. A closer look would be helpful, am sure.

[Hissyspit]

4. This is fun. Try your hand at this.

First time I did it, I got them all correct except for a couple of the -istans (and I may have messed up Chad, too).

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.html

[gateley]

7. Man, that took me forEVER! nt

[1monster]

8. I get confused bt all of those 'isbekitans 'manistans, am not bad on that part of the world

geography once I get a little brush up.

That was fun. Thanks.

[femmocrat]

9. What is the national test? The NAEP?

Our district doesn't administer a national test that I know of. :shrug:

[Whoa_Nelly]

10. National tests/State tests

Although some states have state level tests that are created to reflect and encompass state standards, many of these same tests are administered in exactly the same format across the nation to create national statistics. The states do not create their tests, per se, but rely upon standardized tests created by commercial test publishers, who in turn, address the states' criterion referenced state mandated standards.

The NEAP is used in state-level testing, but only to create comparative scoring across the states.

Some links to more info:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/schools/etc/guide.html

http://www.essortment.com/all/standardizedtes_riyw.htm

http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=1&n=9

[FBaggins]

12. Seems like more of an indictment of national standards than a knock on states.

Schools don't all cover the same curriculum in the same order. It isn't math or reading, but if one state covers the Civil War in 5th grade and another covers it in 7th grade (spending 5th grade on the Depression and WWII), then a nationally standardized 6th-grade test that assumes that the subject is covered in 5th grade is going to make one state look smarter than the other... when the real problem is that the test is not aligned with the curriculum.

That doesn't make the curriculum invalid or the teachers inept... it means that the test isn't valid.

[txlibdem]

13. Shows a critical NEED for national standards and a standardized curriculum

This would, of course, need to be phased in somehow so as not to disenfranchise the students from the "lower standard" states. It can be done with all you pedagogues out there working together.

Want proof that we need national standards? It's right there on the page. For reading, the example state (Alabama) 83% of their students scored "proficient" in their state test (based on their state's standards) yet only 26% meet the national standard for reading. So that state has "dumbed down" their test for whatever reason and thereby put their young people at a great disadvantage. Shameful.

We need ONE standard, ONE curriculum, ONE testing method.

[Catshrink]

14. Well there goes innovation

[txlibdem]

15. dumbing down local standards is not innovation, it's stealing time and money from children

Lowering educational standards in your state may seem like a good idea but think about what will happen to those kids when they go to take the SAT or ACT. Those are national exams and not "dumbed down" like your local curriculum. Your students will have to work much harder to get the same grade that a lazy student from another state will get. Your students will score lower and not get the scholarships so their parents had better have piles of money to pay for tuition. It is also possible that fewer of your students will even get accepted to the college of their choice.

Then when they do get to college they will have to take remedial courses to bring themselves up to speed with the other students. That is both time and money wasted. And they'll likely have a tougher time of it in college (they do not coddle you there) and may be more likely to get frustrated or get bad grades and end up quitting school. Statistically speaking, of course. I am sure there will be exceptions.

Wouldn't you feel bad as a teacher if you knew (and could look up the stats to prove it to yourself) that "innovation" cost your students a pile of money or cost them their future. I'll opt out of that kind of innovation if you don't mind.

:hi:

[Catshrink]

16. So then you think education is static?

It doesn't change? That no new methods are ever explored and developed? If you believe this, then you believe that all children learn in exactly the same way. Children are not widgets, they are individuals with individual needs. Education is not one-size-fits-all.

I object to your proposal that curriculum be the same throughout the country. How do you propose to do that anyway? Do you want your kids learning from a Texas textbook? (No offense, but...) Do you want your kids learning creationism or evolution? Who sets the standard?

Education is far too complex to be boiled down to simple trite solutions.

[txlibdem]

17. I didn't say that, you did

And I speak of the need for national standards BECAUSE of the Texas education curriculum debacle.

"Education is far too complex to be boiled down to simple trite solutions." ??? What does that even mean? We're talking about the best educational minds in the country setting up a curriculum and set of standards that all 50 states will abide by. Is that simple? Trite? Me no think so... Whatever the exact content that will be taught I have no idea. But I have a lot more faith in a national standard than a group of 10 conservative right wingers in the state of Texas.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. National standards won't prevent what happened in Texas

Standards and curriculum are two very different things.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Well what do you know!

We have been told for years now that MO's Math test is the hardest in the country and this says that it is.

Very interesting.