Just the tip of the Iceberg

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-msa-scores-20110629,0,818657.story

Baltimore City's drop in MSA scores has been on hot topic for the past couple weeks. As a middle school teacher, this is something that has been of particular interest to me. There has been so much speculation as to what has caused the scores to drop significantly from last year when the district had been making progress for years. Cheating seems to be the easiest answer. There have always been cheating rumors and then came the schools that were officially caught cheating. This year, the testing officials made sure to put an end to that and we have to scores to prove that. However, the more I think about it, the more I don't think cheating is what we should be up in arms about.

Here's a list of things that I think should concern us more than just the idea of cheating:

1. It is concerning to me that we have created a system so reliant on ONE TEST that educators have prioritized cheating over student learning. We have reached a point with high stakes testing that, above pride and dignity, test scores conquer all.

2. It is also concerning to me that we have created a test that almost no one truly believes in. In my school, at district wide functions, in almost all conversations with other middle school teachers, people are doubting the MSA. Teachers do not believe it is rigorous enough. Teachers don't feel that its truly efective in testing someone's ability. It's not about reading, it's about answering MC questions. The list of complaints go on and on. Yet, this test determines so much for ourselves as professionals, our schools and, most importantly, our students. Why should I care about cheating on a test that I do not believe truly measures anything anyway?

3. Lastly, the passing scores concern me. Try to find what exact percentage is passing for each test in each grade level. I bet you would have more trouble than you think. I have heard rumors and whispers that these passing scores are not what you think they are. Students that are 'advanced' or 'proficient' are not the high flyers we imagine them to be. When passing rates do increase, are the kids getting smarter or the bar to pass getting lower?