I'm trying to figure out why this article about a San Mateo (CA) county's mock trial program includes so much anti-testing sentiment:
A dramatic trial that unfolded in a Redwood City court room last night determined the fate of dozens of students across San Mateo County and sent a powerful mock trial team to a statewide competition.
Hillsdale High School’s team has won the county finals for 11 consecutive years now..The team was shaped into champion form by teachers and organizers who believe the trials give kids an experience that isn’t found in the classroom these days.
“One of the tragedies of this whole testing movement is that it tends to eliminate some of the most valuable learning experiences students can have,” said Hillsdale High teacher Greg Jouriles. “We don’t want to deprive kids of those deep learning experiences.”
Um, you aren't. Your school's students have won this competition 11 years running. I would not be surprised to see that your school's students also do well on standardized exams.
Participating in the intensive mock trial competition hones skills like public speaking, improvisation and critical thinking, Jouriles said. “Those are the type of things that aren’t necessarily going to be on a test,” he said.
No, but then the goal of testing is not to measure every single thing taught in school. It's to measure basic skills that schools must teach. If a kid can't read or write, how good of a "critical thinker" will they be?
High schools in the county have been participating in the event by the Constitutional Rights Foundation for more than 20 years. Preparation for the trial is intense...Presiding judges from San Mateo County oversee the competition and two attorneys serve as the jury pool...It’s definitely a different type of classroom than the ones students are now accustomed to.
For several years now, there has been a strong movement toward standards-based curriculum, said San Mateo County Superintendent John Mehl, who came out to witness his first mock trial last night. That movement has resulted in the loss of some valuable instruction, he said.
“Academics are one thing,” Mehl said. “Education is something much larger that encompasses developing the social and emotional aspects of a child. These are the kinds of experiences that frankly we’ve lost over the years.”
Guess what? You've lost the ability to teach them to read, write, and do math as well, or there wouldn't be such a need for standards. It's ludicrous to assume that schools have been excelling at teaching academic skills while letting "social and emotional" aspects slide. This kind of comment reflects the typical educrat reaction to the fact that we're trying to put more importance on those academic skills now.
Ongoing budget troubles in recent times have slowly worn away at the “extra” instruction like music and the arts in many county schools, Mehl said.
And this is related to a criticism of standards-based instruction how? Is the assumption here that money should always be reserved for art class, even if kids are reading three grades behind?
Hooray for the kids who participate in mock trials - it sounds like a great experience. But it's bothersome to see that the educrats involved can't compliment this system without insulting tests.
Posted by kswygert at February 27, 2004 09:48 AM