I really hadn't seen much arguing for high-stakes testing before reading an article on The Press Democrat. The author, Michelle Rhee, states that tests are important tools used to assess students. Who can disagree with that? Of course, there has to be something which evaluates progress and holds students and teachers accountable. But at what cost? I think what Michelle overlooks is the pressure being placed on teachers and students to perform well on these tests created by business-people--instead of the professionals trained to teach and evaluate our youth.
I don't think anyone who fights against high-stakes testing goal is to "dumb" down our educational system as depicted in the above cartoon. That certainly wouldn't help anyone.
Read the article. Make up your own mind. But don't overlook the comments section.
Here's the link. Article by Michelle Rhee/Photo Credit
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