Oliver Morrison over at Chalkbeat TN breaks down yesterday’s TCAP release and gives us ten takeaways.
Testing 
Gates Calls for Common Core Testing Delay
The Gates foundation and PET correctly call for a two-year moratorium on using common core testing in high stakes education decisions.
Performance Based Tests Take the Guesswork Out of Assessing
Adopting performance based assessments allows teachers to delve deeply into student’s conceptual understanding of content.
Time to Rethink Tennessee Testing
Ezra Howard tackles standardized testing for students with special needs and argues we need to reassess the way we test both students.
In Defense of Standardized Testing
Why do we test students? Do we even need them? And if so, should they be standardized? Read a defense of standardized testing here by James Aycock of Grizzlies Prep.
Testing Special: Alternatives to Testing Growth Measures
Robert struggles academically. He often requires the concept to be explained in a one on one setting 3-4 times before truly getting it. And if we only assessed his value on growth in academics, we’d probably rank his growth as… Read More ›
Testing Season Special: Finding Effective Student Growth Measures Pt. 1
For the sake of our kids, we need an effective measure of student growth. But what constitutes student growth and whats the best way to go about quantifying it? Check out part 1 of our three part series on student growth!
Testing Season Special: Best Predictors of District Growth
Testing season is once again upon us. Over the next two weeks thousands of Tennessee students will take their TCAP and End of Course exams, which will then be used to calculate their actual vs expected growth using models created at the… Read More ›
Tennessee Education Bloggers Unite: Common Core A Vital Step Forward, But Adjustments on PARCC Implementation Needed
As adults, we constantly need to master new skills and adjust our thinking to new information to solve the many challenges facing our world. Our schools should be designed to empower our children to accomplish the same. To accomplish this,… Read More ›
Student Verdict: PAARC is a Better Test than Traditional EOCs
In my sophomore year of high school, my AP European History teacher gave us a test on ancient Rome in week two of the course. The problem? We hadn’t learned anything about Roman history! To this day I still don’t… Read More ›
