Fairview High School seniors hold signs in Boulder to protest the CMAS tests that highlight state science and social studies on Nov. 13. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
Re: “The myth of too much school testing,” Nov. 18 Alicia Caldwell column.
Alicia Caldwell’s piece on school testing is spot on. I’m impressed that she can see so clearly through some of the nonsense surrounding the anti-testing hysteria in Colorado, especially regarding social studies. I’d just like to add one point to her poignant analysis.
It is axiomatic that people respond to incentives. The incentive of testing in social studies has focused attention, attracted resources, promoted meaningful professional development and has nudged districts into making advisable curricular adjustments in that content area. Remove the incentive of testing and the system will revert to a relative neglect of social studies.
We can have legitimate discussion about the structuring and scheduling of assessments. But singling out an important content area like social studies as a sacrificial lamb to appease the test haters would be shortsighted, unfair and unwise.
Marc Johnson, Denver
This letter was published in the Nov. 20 edition.
Submit a letter to the editor via this form or check out our guidelines for how to submit by e-mail or mail.It is naive of Alicia Caldwell to believe that the only time taken by standardized testing that is taking over public schools is the test time itself. What she fails to mention is that whole semesters have been hijacked for the purpose of test preparation. Entire elective courses have been supplanted by classes solely devoted to raising test scores. The focus of such an effort has eaten away at solid school curricula that used to give students a well-balanced preparation for the future.
There is no question that students must perform better in school in order to have a good chance for success in college or post-high school education, but singular emphasis on standardized tests is not the way to accomplish this. Caldwell should know better.
Ben Eastman, Denver
This letter was published in the Nov. 20 edition.
Re: “Thousands of Colorado high school students refuse to take state tests,” Nov. 14 news story.
I am a junior in high school and I find it highly appalling that these fellow students would choose to skip the state tests. Regardless whether we like the tests or not, we need to take them, as they affect the accreditation and funding of our schools for future students. It just does not seem like a good idea to miss these tests.
Kevin Yagovane, Littleton
This letter was published in the Nov. 20 edition.
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