Category: Parcc

Mc Queen's children too Blessed to be TN READY

5/21/2015

Tennessee Ready?

TCAP scores are coming in and we're hearing lots of good reports. But are Tennessee's school children up for the challenge of the new Tennessee Ready tests next year?

State Education Commissioner, Candice McQueen showed up this week in Shelby County pledging to personally meet with ten thousand teachers across the state. It was all part of a campaign to win public appeal for next year's "new and improved" TCAP tests called Tennessee Ready. Along with the Tennessee Ready Tour, McQueen has been nailing the inboxes of Tennessee teachers with emails all week long. And she has recently released a video message (see below) that pounds in the praises for Tennessee Ready standards and standardized tests.

The video begins with McQueen thanking and congratulating Tennessee teachers for all their dedication and hard work this year. Then, she tells those hard working teachers that she hopes they will spend their summer break "re-charging and re-energizing their efforts." No relaxation for teachers this summer, they have to prepare for the "new possibilities" next year.

We have a pretty good idea of what kind of possibilities this longtime common core cheerleader has in mind.

Although, McQueen carefully avoids "common core" in her message, she doesn't fool us. She describes Tennessee Ready using terms like "high standards" and "real world skills." She goes on to say that the new reading, writing, and math tests are "designed to assess what is currently being taught in Tennessee’s classrooms." Yeah, we know what that means---common core assessments. And if plays out like New York, we can expect a huge revolt from parents who are opting their kids out of what they call unfair, political, common core assessments.

Teachers, we're wishing you a happy summer! Thank you for your incredible work this year. Listen in as Commissioner McQueen shares a closing message and some important updates about preparing for next year.
Posted by Tennessee Department of Education on Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Hey, it's Throwback Thursday

Speaking of common core assessments, we thought Throwback Thursday would be a good time to bring up McQueen's past comments on the topic. She might be a big fan of Tennessee Ready but not too long ago, she was quite adamant that her own children and their classmates at Lipscomb Academy would not be subjected to common core or the assessments that go along with it.

A few years ago, McQueen left her position in the college of Education at Lipcomb University to head up Lipscomb Academy, a small private school in Nashville located on the college's campus. When she was named senior vice president, immediately, her fellow parents at the school began to express skepticism of her leadership. Concerns were raised that McQueen, who was deeply entrenched in the money making of common core, would sell out Lipscomb Academy.

McQueen assured parents in a letter that common core would not infiltrate the hallowed halls of Lipscomb Academy. She dismissed any claims of hypocrisy by clarifying that private school students are to be treated differently than public school kids. Evidently, she feels that those children who attend private school are just too blessed to be stressed over common core. "One of the blessings of being in the private schools sector is the opportunity to explore all possibilities within the community and culture in which you find yourself and to thoughtfully choose what fits your vision."

An excerpt of McQueen's letter is below:

"First, the Common Core State Standards have not been adopted by Lipscomb Academy. While the standards have been adopted by the state of Tennessee along with 44 other states, private schools have the freedom to determine if they will use all, some or none of the CCSS. To date, Lipscomb Academy administrators have not adopted the standards...Second, I have also not been in any discussions about formal adoption of the CCSS at Lipscomb Academy. Currently, Lipscomb Academy draws from a variety of quality national and state standards selected by the school leadership and faculty to set a vision for what content, instruction and curriculum will be used at each grade level. This has proven to be effective; thus, I don’t anticipate any changes to this process now or in the future. As is current practice, all standards available will be reviewed at set intervals by leadership and faculty to determine the direction of Lipscomb Academy."

McQueen also gave assurances that Lipscomb Academy students would not be subjected to any of those public school tests such as PARCC or TCAP. Instead, McQueen's letter (excerpt below) promised that Lipscomb Academy students would continue to be assessed using ERB tests.

[S]ome of you have voiced concerns that the academy will adopt the PARCC test that will soon replace the current Tennessee standardized test or TCAP. Lipscomb Academy uses the ERB test, not the TCAP, and there are no plans to replace the ERB test with PARCC.

Comparing the Assessments: PARCC, Tennessee Ready & ERB

So, if private school kids don't have to be TN Ready, what kind of assessments do they take? And how do those assessments compare with the common core tests that will be given to public school children next year?

Take a look below at sample questions at the private school ERB test compared with PARCC and Tennessee Ready. We just pulled some questions at random but you can click the links and see the full sample tests.

Sample 5th Grade Math Question from the PARCC Assessment: 
NOTE: Grades 3-5: No calculators allowed, except for students with an approved calculator accommodation

Tennessee Ready Sample Math Question:
NOTE: TNReady will ask students to solve multi-step problems, many without using a calculator, to show what they know.

Sample Question from the ERB Level 4-6 Mathematics Demonstration Test:
NOTE: Calculators are allowed on one section of the multiple-choice achievement tests.

What can little ol' me do about the big ol' tests?

4/29/2014

Parents, are you frustrated, concerned, or feeling helpless over your child having to take high stakes standardized tests? Does your heart break for your child because your he/she has anxiety, stress, trouble sleeping, strange stomach aches, headaches, or even vomiting around TCAP time?

You are not alone.
And your child isn't the only one.

Standardized testing never used to be this way when we were growing up, did it?
We took the test and then went to out to play at recess and our school day went on as normal. There was no pressure or repercussions if you missed questions. No big deal. The teachers simply said that they wanted to see all you had learned and to do your best. There were no TCAP pep rallies, TCAP songs, TCAP t-shirts, pajama days, candy given as bribes on testing days, or videos made by desperate teachers to inspire kids to Zap the TCAP. Kids took the tests. Life went on.

That changed a few years ago in TN. Big time.
Test scores were put on a pedestal. The test scores of your children now prove the worth of their teacher. Student test scores are a huge percentage of every teacher's evaluation rating in TN, varying by district. Yes, we know it isn't fair. Yes, we know that some teachers don't even teach subjects that are on the standardized test--subjects like music, art, PE, library, electives, etc.. These teachers are unfairly forced to use the school's overall English or Math score for their percentage. Yes, and we know the teachers are incredibly stressed about it, too.

The other big change that happened a few years ago is that it became mandatory in TN that the TCAP count as 15%-25% of each child's report card grade. Yes, we know it isn't fair. Yes, we know teachers and parents never even get to see the tests or the questions on it. Yes, we know these companies are making a fortune selling these tests to our state with our tax dollars. No, we don't know if the TCAP test questions are legitimately fair or even if the answers are correct. We've heard rumors from teachers that even they can't figure out some of the answers because the questions and answer choices are so confusing, but nobody can prove it because nobody is allowed to see the test. In fact, teachers must sign an agreement to not discuss the tests. Teachers have told us Momma Bears that they have been forbidden by their administrators to post any comments relating to the TCAP or PARCC test on Facebook or social media. Things have gotten so bad that even students are told they aren't supposed to talk about the test questions, not even to their parents. (You don't tell kids not to tell their parents. That is WRONG. Unless you're throwing us a surprise party. Then it is okay.)

This is overwhelming... What can an ordinary parent do about it?
Contrary to popular belief, ordinary parents are the most powerful forces on the planet. It is true. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they work together, especially when they are Momma or Poppa or Grandparent Bears! Being a SUPER MOM is really quite easy. Here are the easy-to-follow steps:

Steps to saving the world:

Put on your superhero uniform (cape & tights are optional) and harness the power of your words as a parent.
Take a deep breath and blow off some steam. Let your words flow like Spiderman's web from his hands. You can do this. Write down everything that bothers you and your children about these stupid tests. Use curse words if you feel so inclined. The point is to get it out of your system.
Take a break. Go hug your kids. Peek on them if they are asleep and smell their sweet, sleepy heads. Children are such a blessing, and they're only yours for such a short time before they're grown up. Cherish it.
After you've cooled your jets and your head is clear, sit back down and look at the verbal vomit you spewed. It is probably pretty offensive and you need to clean it up. So, put on your thinking cap and turn those words into magic. You can do it. First, delete the curse words. Then, take out at least half of the exclamation points. There's no need for paragraphs to be written in all capitalized letters. Whittle down your message into a sane, cohesive letter or email. You're going to send this to some people who CAN make a difference, so make it polite and polished. If there are red squiggly lines popping up under words you typed, make sure they are spelled correctly and/or are the correct use of the word. You'll sound much smarter if you fix those errors. The red squiggly line is your friend.
You can't just complain without offering a solution. So, in closing your correspondence, write what you want to see happen with regards to testing. Here are some options:
Eliminate it.
Don't tie it to teacher evaluations.
Don't tie it to student report cards.
Spend the testing money on more teachers instead of tests.
Allow parents to Refuse or Opt-Out of testing for their child without penalizing their child's grade or their teacher.
Get rid of Common Core.
Good idea: Let your letter stew for 24 hours just to make sure you included everything you wanted to say.
Optional: Show it to others to get their feedback.
Read it one more time. If you think to yourself, "It is perfect. I wouldn't change a thing!," then make a wish or say a prayer and then send it!
Wait. Who do you send it to? There are a bunch of important people who need to read it, so Momma Bears suggests sending it to them all. Here is how to find the important people:
Google your school district to find out your Superintendent and School Board member's email addresses. Send your masterpiece to them. They need to know that parents are not happy. (If you're lucky, they will reply to your email in a few days and will probably say it is the State's fault. See #11 for a big fat dose of irony.)
Legislators are very important people who make the laws that got us in to this testing mess. They definitely need to hear from real parents. Click HERE to find your TN legislators that live in your district. Be sure to tell them you are in their district; this matters a lot since they need your vote. (If you're lucky, they will respond to your email in a few days and probably say it is your local School Board's fault. LOL. Notice a big fat problem with finger pointing?)
Gosh, since you've put so much work into it, you might as well send it to all the legislators. It may take you awhile to copy & paste their email addresses, and you may want to do it in small batches (send to no more than 25 email addresses per email) so that your email service doesn't think you are spamming.
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/
The Governor needs to see your masterpiece, too. Who knows... It might be the key that melts his stone-cold heart. His email is: bill.haslam@tn.gov
Who else needs to hear it? Teachers? Principals? Newspapers will publish letters to the editor! Go for it!!!
These are YOUR kids you are advocating for. If EVERY parent spoke up, we could make a huge difference. Don't rely on someone else to do it for you. Don't rely on your elected officials or your school's PTA. YOUR voice is important... Use it!

Your school district won't tell you this, but you also have the right to refuse these tests for your children. They are YOUR children, not the government's. If you want to know more about it, or meet other parents who have bravely gone down this opting out route before you, here are some links to real parents in Tennessee and across the country: Stop the Tennessee Testing Madness website, Stop the TN Testing Madness Facebook page, Stop the TN Testing Madness Facebook group, United Opt Out Website (National group), United Opt Out Facebook group.

(Don't try this at home. Biting your computer is never a good idea)

Update: Huffman Agreement Axed by Huffman

4/17/2014

When the Momma Bear post on the 1-year PARCC delay was written Wednesday morning, there were many events in play and messages being shared. During this time, the Momma Bear who wrote this post heard from reliable sources that the Conference Committee (CC) Report--that had not yet been released to the public--would negate the 1-year PARCC hiatus. Because the House was going to hear the bill in just a few hours, the Momma Bear blogger wrote the post, attached the CC report as soon as it came across "the wire", and immediately posted the blog. Hindsight being 20/20, she should have read the CC report before posting it. If she had read it, she would have noticed that there is still a 1-year hiatus of PARCC in the bill. We apologize for that major error in reporting, but we hope you will forgive us: Our blogger was working within serious time constraints and, as you know, inaccurate information can sometimes be shared during such situations.

Despite this technicality, we here at Momma Bears do believe that, as written, the Conference Committee bill that was approved by the full House on Wednesday does essentially ax the effectiveness of the 1-year PARCC hiatus. The TN Board of Education (BOE) will seek out bids for Common Core-compliant tests from other testing companies for the 2015-2016 test; however, the CC report/bill requires that these tests must be field tested prior to the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year to even be considered. That appears to leave the BOE with two test choices: the PARCC test and the Smarter Balanced Assessment--a.k.a., the "other" Common Core test that is currently being developed. (Don't forget that Ed Commish Huffman is on the Executive Committee of PARCC, so we have no doubt he will be lobbying hard for PARCC.)

So, instead of using the hiatus as an opportunity to examine other test options that could save the state much money, teachers much hassle, and children much heartache; we are basically stuck with an extra year of twiddling our thumbs as the PARCC continues to barrel down on us like an out of control locomotive.

Oh, and we are pretty sure that this 1-year break actually helps Huffman save face because it is clear from reports across the state that TN would have been nowhere near ready to adequately administer PARCC a year from now. So now Huffman, Haslam, and the leadership in the legislature look like they actually give a hoot about the desires of the electorate/legislature, when we are pretty sure they are just relieved that they now have an extra year to try and get our state "ready" for the PARCC.

We have news for Mr. Huffman and his buddies: As long as you and your cohorts continue to disrespect teachers and parents, starve school districts of resources, and treat our children like products rather than human beings, Tennessee students, as a whole, will never "succeed" at any high-stakes test. Raising the proverbial bar to 6 feet and then telling children who can only jump 3 feet to clear it is nothing short of insanity. But we strongly believe that, if you implement some of the following suggestions, TN students could easily clear that 6-foot bar:

1) Fully fund our schools.
2) Implement wrap-around services that will help ameliorate the impact of poverty on learning.
2) Pay our teachers what they are worth.
3) Allow teachers to actually teach instead of test.
4) Respect a child's need for play, exercise, and the arts.
5) Encourage parents to be active participants in their children's education.

Until then, Tennessee students will never reach their fullest potential because, contrary to your beliefs, simply expecting more won't make children achieve more.

A Creepy test --- PARCC

2/26/2014

Someone sent this video to Momma Bears and it freaked us out. We transcribed the video for you below.

Feb. 5, 2014 - Dr. Peg Luksik explains how Common Core testing can embed questions that result in behavior change without protest from the children. Poughkeepsie, New York

Question from a Mom in the audience:
"I'm trying to understand because I thought that PARCC and the Smarter Balance, with both, it sounds like as the student is taking it, the test will actually modify itself to how the student is doing? And when the test results comes back, that would be to the benefit of the student? So why is it then that the teachers don't like it if it is self-paced? Wouldn't you think that would be wonderful?"

Dr. Peg Luksik's response (as transcribed by a fast-typing Momma Bear):

"The problem isn't that it is self-paced, the problem is that the test is open to manipulation."

So if I wanted to look like the students are doing poorly, I can adapt it to make the test harder. If I wanted to make it look like the students are doing well, it can be adapted to make the test easier. And you, as parents, or taxpayers, or policy-setters, will never know which way the test was adapted because it is an internal mechanism so it is not a valid assessment, and that is the fundamental problem with it. The test is being manipulated as the test is being taken. In other cases, when you're not in math but some of the other areas, history or where it is more philosophy-driven, you have to comply before you can move on. So the child is put in the position of: "you must agree."

"I don't agree with the global warming." (giving an example) But you have to because the test won't let you move on unless you comply.

So the test-makers can make the test adaptive: we can make it easier... we can make it harder... or we can make it so that we force compliance. You can't take the next step unless you comply with whatever is being taught or presented in the test. So even if you don't agree with it, you are gonna have to write it, you're gonna have to say so.

Perhaps an example that is older will help you... I have a long history in this movement. This is not the first time that the federal government has attempted to take over education. So in the 1990s, it was called "Outcome based education" and then called "School to Work." I was one of the leading national opponents then, too. I got involved because a woman showed me a test. It was given in Pennsylvania and was called the Educational Quality Assessment (EQA). It was originally given back in the 70's and early 80's. The test said "Citizenship" so parents thought they were testing things like George Washington and the Declaration of Independence... but when you looked at the internal documents of the test, which I did, it said "we're not testing objective knowledge," it said "we are testing and SCORING for the child's threshold for behavior change without protest" and that was in the test!

A sample question said: "There's a group called Midnight Marauders and they went out at midnight and did vandalism. I, the child, would join the group IF..."
... "my best friend was in the group."
... "my mother wouldn't find out."
There was no place to say they would NOT join the group. They had to say they would join the group.

Another sample question was, "Your parents just found out that they are moving to outer Mongolia, how much time would you spend on each of the following:"
..."being upset"
..."crying"
..."arguing"
So, how adaptable are you to change?

Based on the results of the EQA, districts were given curriculum packets to modify their curriculum so that the children would do better on the EQA the next time. So they were using the test to get a threshold for behavior and then adapting.

Now that was a paper and pencil test, so to say that it was easy to track is a gross overstatement of the level of difficulty that it was to get the information, but compared to a computer adaptive test... much easier.

And when we were fighting Outcome Based Education, I was in every state but Hawaii. And in one state I was reading the Assessments, it was a Reading Assessment, and it was a story about a child who found a wallet and there was money in the wallet, and what do you do with the money. I'm sitting in the Department of Education, reading it in front of the other Secretary, because they didn't want me to make a copy and take it anywhere, which was fine, and the question was to the child:

"If you found a wallet with money in it, would you take it?"

(pause) Do you read better if you say "yes"? or do you read better if you say "no"?

Or were they testing a child's honesty on a State assessment with their name on it that was computerized? Because, with paper and pencil, I could find it.

What if they put that in a computer test? and if they don't give the right answer, I can change the computer to move them in the next direction.

So, the computer adaptive testing is REALLY dangerous for our children. Because the State can manipulate achievement data by making the test harder if they want, or easier if they want, but you won't know... you'll just get "proficient" results.

Or they can use the test to test for, and then influence, what your child thinks and how your child thinks about a variety of topics. And, again, parents thought that was a Reading test. They didn't know that "honesty" was being tested on a paper and pencil State Assessment with their child's name on it that is now part of their record.

And no child would think to say (raising hand), "Is that a Reading question?" Children just answer the questions in front of them because they're KIDS. They just take the test. THAT is what they are using the test for. Computer Adaptive makes that so much easier, and, therefore, so much more dangerous.
(end transcription, emphasis added by Momma Bears)

The PARCC test will be a State mandated test for Tennessee students in 2014-15. Some unlucky students will get to take the "pilot" PARCC this spring. No, they aren't flying an airplane... it means those students gets to be unpaid guinea pigs for the testing company (Pearson). Parents probably won't be asked permission for their children to take the trial test, so unless they ask, parents won't even know their child is being given this pilot PARCC test. Their children will miss precious class time to take a test that doesn't count for anything (except to help Pearson profit).

Will the PARCC have questions about honesty or character?
We don't know. We will never know. Parents and teachers are never allowed to see the questions. Test security is tougher than Fort Knox. In fact, a teacher in Memphis was fired last year because a high school student snapped a picture of a test question and put it on facebook. So, unless children mention the strange test questions to their parents, we have no clue. That's how Momma Bears found out about the awful Climate Surveys in TN (which, thanks to parents raising heck, have been stopped this year until parents give written consent. Go, Momma Bears!!!) And that's how parents in New York found out that the PARCC included questions with name brand products embedded in them.

Why does the government want to know this stuff about my child?
Admit it, you think Momma Bears are a little cuckoo for thinking that the government is spying on your children's brains and wanting to know their character traits. It does sound like something you'd see in a sci-fi movie. But you cannot argue with official government documents. We didn't write it, the government did. So, we give you facts. This document published by the U.S. Department of Education says:

"What will it take to shift educational priorities to promote not only content knowledge, but also grit, tenacity, and perseverance? This is an important and exciting time to stop, take stock, and prepare to move forward. New and emerging trends in research, policy, programs, and technology are providing unprecedented opportunities... new research programs are exploring ways to promote these factors. Several private foundations have recently initiated programs to push the frontiers of theory, measurement, and practice around these and related factors, particularly for at-risk and vulnerable students. In national policy, there is increasing attention on 21st-century competencies (which encompass a range of noncognitive factors, including grit), and persistence is now part of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.(page V)

Take the time to read that government document from the U.S. Department of Education. It is super-creepy!
p.39 has a Character Report Card
p.44 has pictures of the student sensors (facial cameras, pressure monitors, wrist straps, etc.)

And also take time to read the TN Race to the Top Application, Appendix C
(It is also an official government document, but it was written by consultants paid for by Bill Gates). It, too, will freak you out majorly to learn that they are compiling a 360 degree view on every child in public schools in TN, and they will share that information with the Federal Government and 3rd parties.

What if I don't want my child to take the PARCC, SBAC, State Mandated tests, or District tests?
Currently, there is no "Opt-out" law in TN. There is a proposed bill sponsored by the very awesome Knoxville Representative Gloria Johnson (she is also a teacher). If that bill passes the Legislature and becomes Law, parents would have the right to make the decision for their child (Ummm... so the government owns our kids, and parents have to get legal permission to prevent them from taking a test that could be harmful??? Momma Bears disagree with that!). The Pearson testing company sure doesn't want Rep. Johnson's Opt-Out bill to pass, and their 8 well-paid lobbyists are pushing hard to prevent it from passing. Now a half-a-billion dollar fiscal note has been added to the bill, because if students don't take the test, the federal government won't be happy and will want the $500 million back from the Race to the Top grant (which is really our tax dollars in the first place!) Crazy. Our kids in TN have a half-a-billion-dollar testing bounty over their heads. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

Use the magic word:
If you want to "opt-out" of testing for your child, be sure to use the word "REFUSE" instead. It seems to work for parents who have used it in TN. If you use the word, "opt-out," you'll be told the Attorney General says you cannot legally opt-out (which is true because TN does not have an Opt-out law. Yet.). Crazy, huh? Refuse is the magic word.

What if I keep my child home on testing days?
Some parents do that and it works. However, the testing windows to administer state mandated tests last a few weeks because there aren't enough computers to test every child at once. Testing must be done in shifts and this takes a long time. Plus, there are make-up test days following the test window weeks. That's a LOT of unexcused absences for a student.
Note: We're not saying you should lie and say your child is sick those days, because lying is dishonest, but your child could possibly be reported for truancy for having that unexcused absences. Crazy, huh?
Another negative: the State mandates that the test count as 15%-25% of the child's grade on his/her final report card. So, depending on your district, your child will be given a zero averaged in with his other grades. In most districts, this means 10% of their English grade will be counted as a zero, and 10% of their math grade will be a zero, averaged in with their semester grades.

Some parents in other states have had success with this method of "opting out":
Withdraw your child from school the day of testing. After the testing window is complete, re-enroll them in school. This method is a big hassle both for the parent and for the school personnel. And you'll need to figure out childcare arrangements since they won't be at school. But it prevents the test from being given to your child, prevents the zero being a part of his/her final grade, and means you won't be reported to DHS for truancy or unexcused absences.

Time to use your Superhero power:
Call and/or email legislators as soon as possible and let them know that you support these bills:

Testing Opt-Out (HB1841/SB2221): “This bill permits parents to opt their children out of participation in high-stakes testing.”
Repeal Common Core (HB 2332/SB 2405) This bill would Repeal Common Core Standards in TN!!!
Postpone Common Core (HB 1825 /SB 1985) requires the state board of education and the department of education to postpone any further implementation of Common Core State Standards beyond those standards implemented as of June 30, 2013, until further implementation is approved by the general assembly.