A teacher
sent this to the curriculum department in a district that has worked to
implement 3-week checkpoints this year.
To the
Curriculum Department:
I understand
not having a Checkpoint in November because of the upcoming benchmark.
But here is what I do not understand. Why only 30 questions for 2 hours. If we
are going to take the time to lose two days of teaching, I would rather have
data on a whole benchmark and know how I want to handle my tutorials. I
want the biggest bang for my buck.
I know we
have not covered some items but a whole benchmark would give us a better
picture of how hard we need to hit items we have not covered. Plus, what needs
tweaking. I have really tried to understand just having 30 questions and
how it is going to help me, but I just do not see it.
I know on
every Checkpoint how my students will score. I know where they are
currently. But more items on a full benchmark would help me with:
A. Do my
students have stamina?
B. Do I need
to increase student reading time?
C. Which TEKS
(Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) are my very low ones across the board?
D. Do I
need to work more on expository writing, narratives, drama and poetry?
This is the
data I can get from a whole benchmark versus a half of one. When I asked
if we could administer a full benchmark I was told that there would be a 30-question
benchmark in December. I received no indication we are ever going to have
a full benchmark.
I guess the
bottom line is can we have a full benchmark... Please?
SC Response
Educators,
let’s take a deep breath. We
cannot lament the fact that we test too much on one day and then ask for an
extra four hours of testing the next. It makes us look like rank amateurs. Let’s leave the amateurs antics to the
Legislature.
Now to
address the specific points of the above letter.
1. The
postponement of the Checkpoint was a one-time event. To not have one robbed
teachers of real-time diagnostic information on what was supposed to be taught.
The only valid reason to postpone the checkpoint, sadly, was the
recognition that the entire system is behind the required curriculum pacing.
Meaning that it is known that students have not been exposed to the
required content, so the checkpoint results are now completely predictable.
But recognize (as the curriculum department does) that this is system and
adult failure that is detrimental to students. Thus, the one-time solution of skipping a
checkpoint and extending teaching.
2. 30
questions over 2 hours is a reasonable for a cumulative final with embedded
preview questions. This equates to four minutes per question. District
finals are scheduled for the final week of the semester, so the risk of losing
“quality” instructional time is negligible. I'm not trying to be mean with this observation, just being
real.
3. As for the
statement, “...how hard must I hit the items we have not covered,” is
ludicrous. We already know that our students do not know what we have not
taught (hence the postponement of the checkpoint). SO TEACH YOUR TAIL OFF...
EVERY DAY. Your students need and deserve nothing less.
4. 25
questions, 30 questions, 40 questions… What’s the point? The Final
needs to have just enough questions to give teachers the information they need
to inform their next instructional decisions. More questions aren’t necessarily
better. In fact, I can get better information with a 13-question test than any
30+ question test in use at any school in the state (but that is another
discussion).
5. Stamina
can and should be built and measured throughout the year. The timed checkpoints,
when implemented correctly, do this. One long test is not how this is
done. You don’t train for a marathon by running one or two a pre-marathons.
Let go of superstitious practices and trust the process.
6. Yes,
increase your students’ reading time. You don’t need a benchmark to know
that.
7. Yes, keep working on writing. You don't need a benchmark to know that.
8. The
checkpoints are informing you which TEKS are at risk. You are getting
that information every three weeks. My question is, “What have you been doing
with that information?”
9. Finally
there is no set number of questions for a full or half benchmark. The
issue seems to be time, 2 hours versus 4 hours. If the student can’t
demonstrate mastery in 2 hours, belaboring the point for an additional 2 hours
doesn’t give me better instructional information. And honestly, I’ll take
two additional hours of instruction over 2/3’s of the class waiting for hours
for the testing period to end, every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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