Elliot Wolf, the senior quoted in the WaPo article about the Maryland High School Assessments, has requested via email that I post a link to his entire testimony about the HSAs. The WaPo article gave little context to indicate that Elliot was well-informed about the tests, but his testimony, along with articles listed on his website, indicates that he has definitely done some research when it comes to standardized tests.
I thought this part of Wolf's testimony was particular interesting:
Blair is in a unique position, one that demonstrates the effects of the HSA on a wide range of students. On one end, we house the Math, Science and Computer Science Magnet Program – one of the highest regarded public secondary school programs in the country. On the other end, approximately one third of all students at Blair are recent immigrants to the United States, and cannot read, write or speak English fluently [Note: While Wolf's testimony puts this number at approximately 33%, the WaPo article claimed that a much lower percentage of Blair students - 10% - had limited English proficiency].
Our research has shown that the implementation of these tests has had negative effects on students at all points on this continuum. In the Magnet, we have new freshmen coming out of HSA-aligned Algebra I classes who are severely lacking in even the most basic Algebra skills. They are able to pass the HSA with flying colors, yet many are not prepared for the advanced math classes that their predecessors who completed non-HSAaligned algebra courses were.
Thus, his complaint seems to be that students who are taught Algebra under HSA guidelines in fact learn less about Algebra than those who took non-HSA-aligned courses. As I've said many a time, there's nothing wrong with teaching to the test - if it's a good test. But if Wolf's claim is true, the HSA may not be a very good test at all.
Posted by kswygert at June 1, 2004 09:51 AM