If you're a regular reader of my blog you are certainly aware of my unbridled hatred for the EOG (end of grade) test mandated through the 'No Child Left Behind' law. If you're a new reader...please know that I HATE THE EOG'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does the state of North Carolina have to have end of grade testing? The answer is no, but if the state were to not implement EOG testing then we would not get the much valued federal dollar.
For further evidence of the debilitating affects of EOG testing I present the following;
A mother of two of my students ( a brother and sister) came out this morning for a parent conference. The boy is in the correct grade, but the the sister should be in the 8th grade. (recall that I teach 7th grade) As we talked the mom explained to us that her daughter was the better student of the two, until the last time she took an EOG test. The mom stated that despite her daughter having been an A/B student her entire school career, she performed poorly on the EOG. As a result she was retained. It is very aggravating to me that despite the fact the student pulled down all A's and B's for the entire school year and has absolutely no discipline issues one test essentially threw out all the hard work she put in over the school year.
There has to be another way. What if... like many students she has terrible test anxiety, which is greater than normal for the EOG, because the students understand that it makes or breaks them for the school year? What if... like many of my students she has a horrible home life...lack of sleep, lack of food, lack of parental support...etc? The mom told us that ever since the last EOG disaster her daughter has completely given up on performing academically throughout the school year, because it was made painfully apparent to her that her hard work throughout the year is pointless.
It appears to me that the 'No Child Left Behind' law is having the opposite of it's intended effect, at least for this student, because she has certainly been put behind her classmates. Is there anything good about the EOG's? Not that I'm aware of, but I'd love to hear from my faithful followers if you know of anything.
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ReplyDeleteI hate the EOGS as well! I tell my kids everyday that this is just a test and that is important but it is still just a test! I spend the entire year giving the allusion of teaching when the reality is that we are really learning test taking strategies instead of learning! All the fun has been sucked out of learning and the "fun" part of school no longer exist because everyone is worried about the instruction since we have the EOG! The state cares more about the test scores than they do our children or how it affects them. Last year I had a student score a 1 on the Reading EOG and after he took the test he told me he knew he didn't do well because he was so sleepy from the night before. His dad woke him up in the middle of the night to shoot squirrel that was in the yard (obviously dad was drunk). He retested and made a 3, what does that tell the state about his reading ability or my teaching ability since they only care about what he did the first time!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. Thanks for reading. Please spread the word.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the EOG's is two-fold.
ReplyDelete1. To serve as a model for other states who want to develop their own test.
2. To keep the testing idiots in charge gainfully employed. (and don't forget the Coach, Buckle Down and all the other publishers who prey upon us....)
There is a group of folks on the net who are ready to organize a group on FB. I'll let you know if that group starts up.
..... 5 more years.....