When talking to folks about my family's decision to opt our children out of standardized testing (UPDATE #1: we must now "refuse" testing, as there is no "opt out" option in the state of NH) I find myself answering the same ten questions about the tests, my parenting philosophy, the Common Core State Standards, and the entire… Continue reading 10 Q&As About Opting Out
Category: standardized testing
The Problem with NH’s PACE Program
The New Hampshire Department of Education (NH DOE) has been positively gleeful about its "first-in-the-nation" strategy for ensuring public school accountability. The Performance Assessment of Competency Education program, or "PACE" for short, will, its supporters claim, guarantee that public schools across the state be held accountable for making sure that students demonstrate "measurable progress" toward… Continue reading The Problem with NH’s PACE Program
Um, Yeah–It Actually IS about Testing
There are a myriad of reasons why families and students decide to opt out or refuse standardized testing. Some refuse because they resent the number of hours teachers spend testing (and "preparing") students when they could be engaging in more meaningful instruction and assessment. Some refuse because they are frequently tied to teacher evaluation, which… Continue reading Um, Yeah–It Actually IS about Testing
Newsweek Gives ORHS Props. I’m Less Than Excited.
Great news! Oyster River High School, the high school just four miles from my home, the high school my two daughters will attend in just a few short years, has made Newsweek magazine's 2014 list of America's Top High Schools! Woo-hoo! Awesome, right? Well...no, not really. Not at all, as a matter of fact. Before you… Continue reading Newsweek Gives ORHS Props. I’m Less Than Excited.
My So-Called Literacy Life 