Testing, Testing, Testing...

We test kids...and test, and test.

I am really okay with some testing. The adults in our kids lives want to see how they are doing, if they moved from Point A to Point B but I think we may have gone overboard.

I certainly am no fan of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). The PSSAs are flawed because they test, for example, this years Third Grade Class vs. last years Third Grade Class. That is just not logical. Who cares how this years class did against last years class.

If you want to understand a child's progress I think you need to use the PA Value-Added Assessment System which is a statistical analysis of PSSA assessment data which allows you to look back at a child and see if they made progress in moving from Point A to Point B.

I just want kids to learn and I am not sure testing them over and over teaches them anything, except for how to take tests which I know as an adult is a rare occasion.