The extraordinary failure rates on this year's Criterion-Referenced Competency Test for middle-schoolers aren't the only thing that have teachers, administrators and parents dropping their jaws in disbelief.
Those dismal scores -- posted incredibly by so many otherwise academically qualified pupils -- laid bare bigger problems with the CRCT process itself.
And state education officials apparently knew this train wreck was coming.
State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox said last month that this year's harder math test likely would result in higher failure rates. And news reports now say the state knew as far back as last July that failures were imminent on the upcoming social studies test -- but the Georgia Department of Education warned no one. Teachers, pupils, parents -- no one.
The CRCT, in specific academic subjects such as English and math, has been built up as a make-or-break exam that pupils must pass to advance to certain grades. Kids who fail the test are kept back a grade.
Or are they? Now it's come to light that the state doesn't even track the pupils who fail the test. Are they actually kept back? Are they promoted anyway after a pupil appeals his test result? The state DOE leaves those questions to be answered by Georgia's 180-plus local school systems. But some of those systems don't track the outcomes of those failures, either, and the appeals process has no state standard.
Because of this overly casual approach to record-keeping, there's really no way to measure whether the CRCT's hard-line policy on promotions is even effective. And that undermines the very importance of the test.
So what are we left with as a result of this debacle?
Forty percent of Georgia eighth-graders failed the math CRCT, and passing it is a requirement to move on to high school.
As many as 80 percent of sixth- and seventh-graders bombed the social studies test. Thankfully, Cox threw out those test results that shocked her as "implausibly low."
Kids who otherwise have stellar report cards are demoralized. Parents are understandably tearing their hair out.
Teachers are fuming because they think they didn't receive enough training to teach this tougher curricula on which the CRCTs are based.
And let's not forget the hardships that will have to be borne by all those kids, parents and teachers when thousands have to retake the test next month. How many summer vacation plans will have to be scrapped because these pupils have to attend CRCT remediation classes?
All this reveals a top-to-bottom mess that calls into question the effectiveness of a single test as the sole yardstick to measure a pupil's academic fitness to advance a grade.
If any good can be culled from this, it's that the CRCT issues have been brought to light, and the problems -- we should hope -- are starting to be identified. The next obvious step is to rectify those problems, whether it's through small fixes or sweeping changes.
It's bad enough that these kids failed the tests -- but let's not have the tests fail these kids.
Comments
Seems like the entire system has become seriously flawed...My grandson tells me that the material on the social studies was not taught by his teacher...The test was on government matters/civics but teachers were teaching history....Somewhere along the line communication lines were broken....Ya think?
Such a great message for the kids who are being taught by an incompetent educational system.
Let's not forget that Kathy Cox was endorsed for her current position by the Augusta Chronicle. It's time for the editor to fess up and admit the mistake, just as it's time for Kathy Cox to step down and turn control of the state's public education system over to someone who can correct this fiasco.
The government school system is failing us all. It should be scrapped for a system that offers the widest range of choice to students and their parents, including homeschools, charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, parochial schools, etc.
How about a voucher system, StandTall? That way, parents could choose what type of education they want, and the taxpayers will still pay.
Cox should be fired, given a vote of no confidence, ex-communicated, impeached, and given a good talkin too. Who failed the test? The Student, Teachers and Faculty, Test Makers, Kathy Cox. Seems the students and teachers have done their jobs given the whole years performance. The fault lies elsewhere.
Get rid of the tests.
Hmmm. Instead of scrapping plans for summer vacations in which we all need one, why don't we use the Georgia Virtual Academy for those who failed the tests? In this way, the kids still get their vacations cause everyone knows that the purchase of a laptop can be taken off the taxes, and since it is for schooling, the kids will be able to do it even in restaurants where there is free WiFi such as McDonalds, or Taco Bell. They would pass without having to stay back a grade, and still be able to have the vacations and other "fun" at the same time. I also think that if kids are really failing the tests, then they do need to read more about our government and how it works and write to our President about this issue as homework. With so many people writing these, G.W. Bush will have no choice but to settle that issue so many people are all ready complaining about. If one kid was successful in getting a response from the President, think of how many we can actually get involved in important issues and since they will eventually vote anyway, wouldn't you want your kid knowledgable about our government?
DE, damn if you don't make sense for a change. My grand daughter failed the math portion of the 5th grade CRCT and now has to attend summer school rather thn being in Florida with her "Nana" and best friend/cousin.
Every year we hear the same crap that the test results are terrible, but none of know anything but the data percentage. A far better method of analyzing what kids are failing in would be to tell us the 20-30 questions they missed most. I don't see this as a problem because they obviously change the questions every year. I would bet most kids could not tell you the three branches of government - but they could tell you every past winner of American Idol or the other reality shows. That is a waste. So come on educators tell us what the questions were or were they so simple that we would be highly embarassed of the school system.
I know I'll catch some flack for this suggestion: Why do we have to have the kids take these ridiculous standardized tests? Can't they just have "final week", actually test the students on issues that were actually taught by the teachers? Ultimately, even the honor kids are going to fail a test on subjects that were never taught. What are we doing to these kids? Do these tests, in any way, reap a financial gain for the schools that have children that pass the "tests". Kids have it hard enough these days at school. Why are we making the teachers and kids feel inadequate by giving them tests they they can't study for?
Don't forget that passing this test is a critical component of the No Child Left Behind Act. Don't forget that one of the sponsors of the No Child Left Behind Act is George Bush. Don't forget that teachers do not like the No Child Left Behind Act AND they don't like George Bush. Now, doesn't it make sense that the teachers would sabotage their students in an orchestrated job action in order to have a chance for a new law more to their liking? Un-like the Chronicle, I don't think the teachers FAILED their objective, I think they SUCCEEDED wildly!
I think Deborah Elliot2, disssman, and Patriotic Christian spoke very well on the subject and I agree.
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