Standardized testing woes

[Guest guest]

Belonging to this group has opened my eyes to the injustices and biases towards

meat-eaters.

I teach fourth grade in a public charter school in Florida. Today, I was

reading the script to the Listening section of Stanford Achievement Test Series

Tenth Edition. On of the sections required I read " Please take the chicken out

of the freezer and defrost it. To defrost is to ..... " I was shocked the test

writers and publishers would allow a question like that. My daughter (now

almost 2) may get that question incorrect one day, as I do not keep chicken in

my freezer. Why would it be there and why would it need to be defrosted?

Shouldn't it be running around?

 

Do I write the company with my concern? I know there are no vegetarian students

in my classroom, so how do I interest others?

Thanks for your help.

Cassie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

It is bad that it uses " Chicken " as the example. But they are testing that the

children know what the word 'defrost' means. We as vegetarians/ vegans defrost

other things. I've seen eating animals as examples for assignments like

fill-in-the-blank type things not just standardized test things.

Renee

 

Jacqueline Bodnar <jb wrote:

That is so unfortunate and likely the reality at most schools. Not

only

should you write the company, but it should be copied to the district as

well.

 

Jacqueline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I don't see vegans as victims. I see us as people who are

enlightened enough to choose veganism (thanks in large part to our

education and past experiences, and many of us went to public schools

with the same silly tests). So, personally I am not offended by the

question. Mostly because it's equal in my mind to all the other

questions that are asked on standardized tests. The goal is to test

to a standard. Most people are not vegetarian, or vegan. So I think

the question is fair, but only in relationship to all the other

questions of it's type. This is why I homeschool. : )

 

Standardizing was a beautiful idea because its goal was to ensure that

everyone got a certain quality of education, but it's not an

appropriate environment for learning in the ways it has manifested

over the years. At least, it wasn't for me and it's not for my kids.

 

Honestly, dear teacher, I would take the 10 min or so that it would

take you to write that letter to the testing agency and just treat

yourself to some quality time or something that makes you happy, not

related to school! : ) Goodness knows you deserve it.

 

And if you have time (meaning if by some chance you won't get fired

for wavering off of your NCLB schedule) do a special unit on nutrition

and beliefs around the world, so you can slip in ideas about veganism.

: D That's what I would do.

 

Maggie

 

On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 8:31 AM, Cassie Dixon <roxy87cabriolet wrote:

>

>

> Do I write the company with my concern? I know there are no vegetarian

> students in my classroom, so how do I interest others?

> Thanks for your help.

> Cassie

>

[Guest guest]

So, could they have used frozen peas as an example. These tests are created

after months of research and trials. No one picked up on this...?

 

Cassie

" life's a garden, dig it! "

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

On May 14, 2008, at 2:55 PM, Renee Carroll <renecarol25 wrote:

 

It is bad that it uses " Chicken " as the example. But they are testing that the

children know what the word 'defrost' means. We as vegetarians/ vegans defrost

other things. I've seen eating animals as examples for assignments like

fill-in-the-blank type things not just standardized test things.

Renee

 

Jacqueline Bodnar <jb wrote:

That is so unfortunate and likely the reality at most schools. Not only

should you write the company, but it should be copied to the district as

well.

 

Jacqueline