Originally Posted by
Fishy Wishy
I just had a conversation on EQAO standarized testing with a teacher friend and her concerns about EQAO seem valid and genuine.
The EQAO does not have consideration for Learning Difficulties of any kind.
The EQAO has no consideration for ESL students.
Teachers are not allowed to rephrase a question if the child does not understand it as written. (This is a largew part of why teachers teach to the test).
Apparently a die (singular form of the word dice) is too negative a word so a die is referred to as a "number cube" Who calls a die (or dice) number cube(s)?
If you are in an English school the test is in English, French school French test. My daughters in French Immersion (from an English school) get the test in...English (even though their instruction is in French).
Some schools have lots of ESL students, or socio-economic strife, lack of parental involvement (parents who are uneducated themselves or are poor parents) due to zoning. Some just have high instances of LDs.
Kids are not help back/allowed to fail etc. In any classroom/grade there may be a large spread of abilities. I had my Daughter's first principal (when he put her and two other kids, in a split grade class 1/2, when she was in Grade 1) tell me in or interview as I was concerned, that in any grade there is a 4-5 grade year spread in literacy ability. In Grade 2 they had kids reading at an SK level through to a grade 4 level.
My friend complains about this as how can 1 teacher in a classroom be expected to teach to 30 students with such a varying range in ability?
A big complaint is the parents not holding up their part of the "contract". Parents who "don't have time, we're busy" to read for 10-30 minutes a night with their child. Parents that think - That's what I pay you for.
I have been caught saying the same thing...but the context was different when a teacher sent home comments on my daughter's EQAO prep test saying that we (as parents) should work with my daughter on polynomial shapes (or whatever it was). I was like huh? What? This test reflects on you, not my child. AFAIC this test is to guage your ability as a teacher and the quality of this school. (BTW my daughter scored level 4 in all 3 areas of testing - the only one in her school to do so that year.) Since then we have moved her (an now her sister) to another school that offered French Immersion in a grade 4 start, hoping to gain them some more challenges and skills. My oldest was identified as "gifted" with a high IQ, and my youngest is supposed to be tested this year (don't know what the strike will do to that plan). My youngest is said (by teachers who know them both) to have the oldest beat. LOL
Off topic and forgot where I was going. So I'll sign off.