| HomeschoolingResourceCenter.org Home | Search | About Us | Contact Us |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
News Item July 2011 |
 Now that the Common Core standards established by the federal government have been adopted by 44 states, the next logical step in the process has been started – designing tests to evaluate student progress. The task goes beyond the typical standardized tests. Two multi-state committees must also design ways to gauge progress in order to adapt instruction during the year. The plans even include raising the level of difficulty of the questions through the year, making accommodations for students who speak English as a second language, and adapting the testing procedures for children with special needs. In order to accomplish the tasks designated in the legislation, technology and computerization will be necessary. With many school districts and states facing budget cuts in education, the cost factor concerns many administrators. States will have no choice but to stream-line testing otherwise and consolidate assessments under the Common Core umbrella. For states that require standardized testing for homeschoolers, independent testing may be one casualty of this process. To make matters worse, the federal grants provided for this initial process are limited and do not including funding for administrating the tests long-term – a key factor in the standardization process. How all this will impact standardized testing and the validity of such tests is open to question. 85 Words To view more 'News Items' Articles please 'Log In' and visit the 'Achives' page. |
