Posted inFeatured, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Uncategorized

What are We Testing? – PARCC and SBAC

  The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) is running several commercials that air concerns of both parents and teachers about PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) standardized tests currently being administered in the state. Concerns include: middle school students getting only a half year of science and social studies in order […]

Posted inUncategorized

Performance Based Tests Take the Guesswork Out of Assessing

This post originally ran on SCORE (the State Collaborative on Reforming Education) on May 28th, 2014: [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Marianne’s multiple choice test was the easiest things in the world to grade.  A, B, A, […]

Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, From the Front Lines

{Editorial} A Teacher's Experience with PARCC in Tennessee

By Jon Alfuth In my sophomore year of high school, my AP European History teacher gave us a test on ancient Rome in week two of the course.  The problem? We hadn’t learned anything about Roman history! To this day I still don’t understand her decision, but the experience left me with a strong distaste […]