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Feb. 16th, 2005 09:31 pmPSSA Promt summary: What law would you eliminate or add if you could?
My answer: No Child Left Behind Act.
Why:
1. Uses standardized tests as a way to decide which school gets the money-- the ones that do well on the test, those that do poorly are left to fend for themselves.
2. It has been proven that standardized tests do NOT actually test intelligence or information retained but how well one tests
3. To get funding, teachers sacrifice classtime to teach to the test, not their subject
4. Taking tests take time from class (reason 3 mixed with the fact that we are actually taken out of class to do the test)
5. If the government wants to do more to help schools it should give funding to those that actually need it rather than those already doing well (they also deserve funding but do not need it as much and can deal with getting less than the ones that really do need it)
Sidenote: The president actually cut the education budget for this year. This does not seem like something one does if they want to support schools. Though, to his credit, he has put a much larger budget aside for education than most--even if he hasn't actually spent it all.
How's that for a standardized test essay? I hope the rather obvious irony will be appreciated by those grading my test. And it's pretty well written for a timed essay and does meet the criteria...let's see if I do well or get a bad grade due to subject matter.
My answer: No Child Left Behind Act.
Why:
1. Uses standardized tests as a way to decide which school gets the money-- the ones that do well on the test, those that do poorly are left to fend for themselves.
2. It has been proven that standardized tests do NOT actually test intelligence or information retained but how well one tests
3. To get funding, teachers sacrifice classtime to teach to the test, not their subject
4. Taking tests take time from class (reason 3 mixed with the fact that we are actually taken out of class to do the test)
5. If the government wants to do more to help schools it should give funding to those that actually need it rather than those already doing well (they also deserve funding but do not need it as much and can deal with getting less than the ones that really do need it)
Sidenote: The president actually cut the education budget for this year. This does not seem like something one does if they want to support schools. Though, to his credit, he has put a much larger budget aside for education than most--even if he hasn't actually spent it all.
How's that for a standardized test essay? I hope the rather obvious irony will be appreciated by those grading my test. And it's pretty well written for a timed essay and does meet the criteria...let's see if I do well or get a bad grade due to subject matter.
