Credit is due to our Minister of Education. Thomas Lucaszuk, is stepping up in true PC style and showing Albertans what it looks like when our Government says there will be change. We will listen, we will discuss, we will make the decision that is right for Albertans. Those decisions will be pragmatic and fiscally minded, no doubt. This kind of transparency can only produce a level of ownership from stakeholders that will make our Education System a herald among jurisdictions.
I sent out a reply to our Minister tonight and thought I'd add my comments to the article in the Calgary Herald on Grade 12 Diploma Exams. Here is my FB comment in reply to our Minister's request for feedback on Standardized tests nationwide:
There is an importance to be placed on the value of diploma results to inform our practice: they offer appropriate feedback to teachers for assessing taught and learned outcomes, standardized tests allow for educators to reflect on their practice, for schools to set goals towards improvement, jurisdictions can demonstrate accountability etc...the question is the weight of the diploma and whether an exam which is worth 50% of a students' grade 12 mark is truly valid and reliable...do they measure what a student has learned and are these results reliable over time. basic research elements.
What are these exams truly for? If it for accountability, then let's create exams that reflect that. We are often funded based on results and what these results show ie: class size does not impact test results at the grade 6 level=less funding for class size contingency teachers. I would argue that the standardized tests, as they are currently designed show more about measuring accountability and therefore dollars are contingent upon good results. If truly we want to measure and place value on what a child has learned, that ought to be done with an emphasis placed on formative rather summative assessment. (At this point, I accidentally pressed RETURN...of course as an educator, I was horrified that I might find a spelling mistake...and I did!)
So, now, I will create the rest of a reply in this blog. It will be brief (ish) and I'll try to keep the teacher speak to a minimum...
Currently, our children in grade 12 write a Standardized Diploma exam in each of the core subjects. It is worth 50% of their final mark. Those are some pretty interesting odds and there are few gambles in life that are worth that kind of pay out or loss. But, most importantly, are they really worth the gamble...do they really measure Post Secondary preparadeness? Do they really measure what our children have learned when true learning can only be shown over time by way of siginificant concepts? As educators if we are not constantly asking ourselves "How will I know they have learned", we are missing the point. That question leads us to reflection on our practice in the classroom and helps us sharpen our teaching tools. It allows us to assess student knowledge at a given time, to differentiate for the individual and to foster engagement and interest within our students.
Todays teacher is up against some pretty steep competition...technology has changed the way our children gain knowledge. Do our standardized tests reflect that? In the age of the "Google Effect" where it's no longer necessary to know historical facts, isn't it presumptuous to assume that a multiple choice test is really an important factor in discerning between the 17year old who is ready for University or not. Does anyone remember the AC/DC formula?
Now, I don't profess to know the answer as to how to measure knowledge via a set standard. But, I do believe there is a way to get closer to it than we are. I'm feeling refreshingly optimistic that with the open minded and transparent approach of our Government, we might very well be able to lead the country towards this standard. And that is not only levelling the playing field for our children who seek post secondary studies. It also gives them more choice of institutions to attend.
I'd love to hear about your views...How will I know they have learned?
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