Standardized Testing

IB and AP are not standardized tests, per se. The IB is a curriculum, and AP are courses. You are willfully misunderstanding this, and you obviously didn't even go to the link that I posted that showed you what the IB program is. What's the payoff? My kid is probably going to get into a really good college. And she took it because she wanted a curriculum that challenged her.
when we talk about standardized tests, we're talking about the ACT and the SAT and we're also talking about state administered tests. Those are the tests they start giving as early as third grade in many states. They take them ad nauseam. But in my state, the results don't show the gain of each student, it measures one academic year against the previous academic year which are all different students.

And the fact that you won't even admit that you have no idea what IB is weakens your argument on any of this.

 

So they are designed to test students on subjects that they know some kids will never be exposed to, like algebra, geometry, grammar, reading comprehension, vocabulary?
Or are the designed by people who believe that these subjects are the baseline of what a high school senior should know if they are to proceed to higher education but too many students not exposed to

 

Legitimate test anxiety and disabilities shouldn’t be so pervasive as to change the average outcomes across the entire population of students who test? Or are most children learning disabled in a significant manner?

I did shit on the SATs because I was a lazy HS student who didn’t pay close enough attention to class. Smart enough to get through decently without breaking a sweat, but not mature enough to learn how to learn. When to a state school and got motivated. Had I been a more mature or motivated HS student I would have attended a better brand name university which have led to a better brand named job out of college and a better brand named post graduate professional school.

 

I think you are going a bit too far in the other direction. A big part of test-taking is performing under pressure, something most of us need to be able to do in life.

 

I agree that giving multiple opportunities to succeed is important, but that was not all about content. It was teaching the student to see past their own limitations. It was teaching them how to approach challenges that seem overwhelming or worthless.

 

There are more needs for testing accommodations than you might think. There are also a bunch of undiagnosed students who change things as well. In terms of percentages, if you are weighing students based on how they stack up against other students, you will have the wealthy kids who have the best schools, help at home, testing touters vs poor students who don't get testing touters, don't get as much help at home, go to schools with fewer resources and get shoved down in tests.

The other under the radar problem comes with students who are language learners. This can hit in two waves and the second is why people say standardized tests are racist in some ways. So first, ELs need more time to process. They need extra time to read instructions and to read the questions; time that native speakers don't have to worry about unless they are slow readers. Those students are more than capable in the class (I have several) and can easily do high-level work, but asking them to take a test like the SATs under time constraints is a tough ask. The second one are idioms that we don't always think about. I'm trying to think of a turn of phrase that have been a problem and I'm drawing a blank, but if you are an EL, you may or may not know some of those phrases or if you don't have exposer to those things, you don't recognize what it is. I've used a few phrases that have left some of my students with blank expressions that I then have to explain.

So we are a project-based-learning school. Students have to produce something tangible to show mastery of content. If a student can make a video to show a concept or produce non-traditional items and do very well, they will get an A in my class. That same student may get a C in a traditional classroom that asks them to read from a text book and write a 5-paragraph essay.

In short, it isn't as cut and dry all students should pass a test if they are taught well. I can teach very well, but those kids who excel in my class might not do so well on a test. We're just asking kids to do different things.

 

It is a little bit of both. It is important to find a balance between the student having the knowledge needed in higher education and giving students from all backgrounds a fair opportunity to pursue higher education. The current SAT and ACT exams do not do a good job of the latter.

 

Project-based learning is an excellent equalizer. More traditional schools around here are incorporating elements of it, which is a good thing. It is important to allow students to learn in different ways and to asses their understanding with a variety of methods.

 

While teaching them English. John Wooden taught basketball and all the other things at the same time. So do good teachers.

 

You know there is a test at the end of the AP course, right? Do you know why students don't want a 3?

And here is the IB testing schedule...
https://www.ibo.org/contentassets/7...may-2021-exam-schedule-english-revised-v2.pdf

If you don't think AP and IB end of course tests are not standardized... well...

The AP and IB tests are probably more stressful for students than the ACT or SAT. If a kid gets a 3 on an AP test, that is a huge mark on a transcript. That's why the AP kids opt out of taking it.

 

Still go back to when standardized tests for college admissions was what broadened college opportunities for many. Children of immigrants, Jews, Asians and other nonblack minorities who were shut out of prestigious private and state universities were now on a somewhat equal footing with the rich and legacy kids.

 

OK. You obviously know more about something you know nothing about than I do, when my child is in the program. I didn't say there weren't tests, but that's really not the kind of testing we're talking about. And for the record my kid never opted out of an AP test.