I’ve been in the education business for 31 years and I’ve seen many a fad come and go, from Teacher-proof curricula to shared decision-making to Differentiation to Cooperative Learning, Curriculum Mapping, Goals 2000 and various reading programs that focus on inventive spelling, phonics, whole language and learning vocabulary in context. Many of my colleagues didn’t… Continue reading The Swift Fall of Testing – What Comes Next?
Tag: Common Core
CCRAP! More Testing Ahead
If you’re a regular American, you know, like the kind of person Hillary Clinton is trying to appeal to, you probably think that the PARCC tests are over and that the education system has moved on. Not so. This week marks the return of the standardized tests that no one likes, and are based on… Continue reading CCRAP! More Testing Ahead
Salting the PARCCing Lot
Educators, are you getting excited? No, not about the next snowstorm, which looks like a whopper, but about the PARCC tests? You’d better be, because they are on the way and the impact will be measurable and unpredictable. For those non-educators, the PARCC tests are the standardized tests that students in grades 3-11 will take… Continue reading Salting the PARCCing Lot
The New Smart
Yes, I know it’s the holiday break and students and teachers across the country are off, but really, this is just the calm before the storm. There are only two more months until the new PARCC tests are administered. Then there’s a 6 to 8 week break. Then more PARCC tests will be administered. These… Continue reading The New Smart
Common Core: At Least the Website Works
I am nothing if not a good sport and an optimist by temperament, so when I read this NJ Spotlight article about a website full of great information and resources for teaching the Common Core Curriculum Standards, I took a look. The site, njcore.org, is well-designed, if a bit busy, and you can sign up… Continue reading Common Core: At Least the Website Works