Academic Literacy Testing

However, the government officials could have fought for these tests by saying that the tests made sure that voters understood who and what they were voting for. The Alabama test B and C especially would be very easy to fight for due to the fact that it actually went over what could pertain to what was on the ballot. While the other tests were just focused on if they had obtained an elementary education, officials obviously knew that all of the rich white people were able to receive an education. The arguments for those tests would be more focused on how those who vote should have an education so that they’re able to read about the problems that the laws are focusing on and what the newspaper is reporting on possible politicians running. They might have also said that those without an education does not have the skill to think critically and understand what is going on in the government due to them having a laboring job instead of someone who's a doctor or lawyer. However, the literacy tests were not the only standardized methods in the south to help African Americans to not be able to vote, there was also the application itself that helped the white people defer the African American’s away from

Taking the Louisiana Literacy Test was frustrating to say the least. With only ten minutes to get through thirty questions, I felt rushed, uncomfortable and full of self doubt. I can’t believe you had to get every single one of them right to be able to vote. Did people they wanted to vote receive an answer key in the mail to prepare, or did the people who graded the test overlook some wrong answers for those they desired to vote? I thought I did well. I then proceeded to look up some answer keys online and realized that I got three wrong, which was infuriating because I thought I followed along with the instructions carefully, or as carefully as I could in ten minutes. After watching the video of the Harvard students not being able to pass

Document I shows literacy tests from the state of Louisiana and a Texas poll tax receipt. The literacy tests are designed to be confusing and unfair because some questions do not make sense. For example, one of the questions states, “Draw a line around the number or letter of this sentence.” This could mean many things. But, these tests were designed for people, mostly African Americans, to fail.

In the year of 2011, there were 3.2 million teachers who were employed at public schools throughout the nation, which served close to 50 million children in grades kindergarten through twelfth (Feistritzer, 2011). Currently, to be employed as a teacher in the United States, one must obtain a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university, and be certificated in the state that one wishes to be employed. The certification serves as a teaching credential, which is needed for teachers in all states.

Similarly, many teachers, statewide, feel that these exams that no significant value towards a student’s overall intelligence. According to a survey by both the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Scholastic, of more than ten-thousand public school teachers, this report has found that teachers

“There is something deeply hypocritical in a society that holds an inner-city child only eight years old "accountable" for her performance on a high-stakes standardized exam but does not hold the high officials of our government accountable for robbing her of what they gave their own kids six or seven years before,” quote Jonathan Kozol. As this quote apptly states many children are often robbed of simple childhood pleasures by standardized testing. These strenuous tests should be cut back to the absolute minimum. Standardized tests should not be required because they provide unnecessary stress, are often inaccurate because of computer and human error, and some students, particularly minorities, are at a clear disadvantage.

One teacher’s defense is, “when they are graded, no one is looking at the income or the zipcode” (Aycock 3). Louis CK claims that some teachers are better than others. Not all classes are the same. Classes are a different level. In school some have general, advanced, honors, and then there's AP. Each teacher sets up their tests differently. This doesn't prove how well all students can do in that subject. One teacher's test will be more difficult than the other. “If everyone is taking different tests, you cannot compare scores. If you cannot compare scores, then you can't measure teachers, schools, and districts” (Aycock 3). CK also claims the standardized tests are an equal playing field. Race, native language, and disability status has nothing to do when grading tests. Everyone is taking the test. How will the machine know who the test taker is? CK has a point. But does he know that they are placed in certain levels because of standardized testing? At a young age students are given test after test. The ISAT’s already have them placed in their level of knowledge. The way they learn and the way they are taught when they are young is not the same as what grade level they are now. From being in third grade to being a senior trying to get into college. Brains grow and learn differently. If grades show improvement or sustainability that should be enough for a school to know how hard they have tried in school. Grades throughout high school will be a big part of your acceptance into college. But the ACT is the yes or

Therefore, teacher certifications should be loosened. States do need to make it a bit more difficult to receive a teaching certification. Teachers need to be trained in the subject they are going to teach and have some experience with children. They also need to have significant mentoring, continuing assistance and support, and a variety of enticements to keep them in the profession. To address the teacher shortage issue, states need to do more than just produce a higher number of untrained teachers faster. Recruiting more teachers will not solve the teacher shortage issue. Policymakers need to find a way to keep teachers in the field (Ingersoll and Smith 32). They must invest in the teaching profession, provide high standards for teachers, and increase their salaries, and they also should improve working conditions that impact student achievement and teacher success. Our society needs to recognize teaching as an essential profession. “Those who recruit new teachers need to remember that they are not just responsible for the next generation of teachers, but also for the future of our schools” (Tell

Every teacher in the Narragansett School District, like Sean Houlihan, must adhere to the state 's standardized testing policies. There are many lengthy arguments for and against the use of standardized tests in the educational system. However, no matter how much a teacher may be against the concept, the state determines whether or not they are given. As a former Social Studies teacher and current full time substitute in this district, Houlihan has had years of experience with the standardized tests required by Rhode Island and the neighboring states. He has had the chance to witness first hand the pros and cons of these mandatory examinations.

* Teacher Qualifications: By the end of the 2005-06 school year, every teacher in core content areas working in a public school had to be "highly qualified" in each subject he or she taught. Under the law, "highly qualified" generally meant that a teacher was certified and demonstrably proficient in his or her subject matter. Beginning with the 2002-03 school year, all new teachers hired with federal Title I money had to be "highly qualified." By the end of the 2005-06 school year, all school paraprofessionals hired with Title I money must have completed

Implementing meaningful standards that lead to the awarding of advanced teacher certification that goes beyond state certification.

Another conflicting viewpoint detrimental to United States education systems are problems concerning the standardized test established by the No Child Left behind Act. Based on the stipulations the states are allowed to “set their own standards and write their own standardized NCLB tests, states can compensate for inadequate student performance by setting very low standards and making tests unusually easy.”(White, 2015). Furthermore, “The law requires the inclusion of English language learners (ELLs) in its assessment mandates; accordingly, these students must make annual progress as measured on standardized tests of both English language proficiency and academic content.” (Menken) Standardized testing makes it extremely difficult for English

This study examined the effect of national board certification to reading proficiency scores and reading levels of second and third grade students. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards enable teachers to pursue national certification that consists of four components: A content knowledge assessment; reflections on student work samples, a classroom video and analysis and documentation of the teacher’s impact on teaching. The national board certified teachers in the study administered the name of the test, a state mandated reading diagnostic test at the Beginning of the Year, Middle of the Year and End of the Year. These benchmark reading tests were utilized to determine a correlation between national board certification and reading scores in second and third grade students. These series of reading test also measured

These exams provide consistent baseline measurements, college readiness assessment, and universal teacher evaluation. However, the significance and emphasis on these tests need to be reduced. A compromise must be made that takes the shortcomings of standardized testing into account, while capitalizing on the positive aspects it offers (“Do Standardized Tests”). Although many people support the use of standardized tests, excessive testing is still recognized as a problem from both sides of the argument. Even the president of the Education Trust, an advocacy group focused on reducing the achievement gap by use of standardized testing, believes there is an overload of testing administered by schools (Layton). However, these tests are not being mandated from a single source. Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and state and local governments all can require assessments (CGCS). Because many of these tests are administered for the benefit of the organization, students and teachers usually do not benefit from

According to the Board of Studies Teaching & Educational Standards, “the test will help to ensure that future teachers graduate with personal literacy and numeracy levels at least equivalent to those of the top 30 per cent of the population.” (Board , 2016)