DRIPPING WITH SARCASM........

So, you think student promotion, graduation, teacher pay, employment and school funding should all be tied to standardized tests?

I do too because....

* testing data can NOT be manipulated to tell any story we want.
* school administrators do NOT cheat (change student answers) to show improvement where none really exists.
* testing companies do NOT fudge numbers to show overinflated estimates of how well they are doing.
* the testing industry does NOT miscalculate scores.
* test developers do NOT recycle questions and hire people without proper experience to create tests.
* testing a child is much more important then actually teaching them.
* filling in bubbles correctly is an important life skill.
* machines are totally capable in assessing student answers to open-ended questions without being able to actually read them.
* even though "Juan" just came to the United States, it should be NO problem for him to pick up the complexities of the English language and be reading ON grade level in three years.
* even though "Sally" has an IEP (individual education plan) that states that she: can have tests read to her, can have a teacher scrip her answers because her motor skills are poor and is not expected to be on grade level because of her learning disability.....she should be totally capable in performing the same as a regular education student.

I could go on and on, but after just the few examples presented above, it should be totally obvious to anyone why standardized tests are the only way to go.

In fact, they are so PERFECT in evaluating how good a teacher is that I think we should base more on them.

Why stop with pay for teachers and government funding? I think we should also tie standardized test scores to: your right to vote, drive a car, have a child, be elected for mayor (judge, governor, senator, president etc....), join the armed forces, adopt a pet, buy a house, have a library card, have a passport, buy a plane ticket (bus, train, boat etc...), get married, own a gun, obtain medical treatment...these scores should follow you everywhere for the rest of your life. Oh wait...we could get the scores printed on the back of our driver's license....THAT WOULD BE PERFECT!