Hundreds of NC teachers are flunking math exams. It may not be their fault

[phill4paul]

The C.O. is a liberal newz rag. Notice that the headline reads "hundreds," which is technically correct. However, as is pointed out in their opening paragraph it's actually thousands. And one of the teachers complaining recieved her degree from an on-line university? Lol.


Almost 2,400 North Carolina elementary school teachers have failed the math portion of their licensing exams, which puts their careers in jeopardy, since the state hired Pearson publishing company to give the exam in 2013, according to a report presented to the state Board of Education Wednesday.

Failure rates have spiked as schools around the state struggle to find teachers for the youngest children. Education officials are now echoing what frustrated teachers have been saying: The problem may lie with the exams rather than the educators.


The Board of Education, which last month granted beginning teachers an extra year to pass, plans to review the Pearson exams to see if the tests are actually measuring skills needed to teach elementary students effectively, or whether they’re gauging math that’s generally taught in higher grades.

Jamie Duda, who spent the past year teaching language arts in a Charlotte-Mecklenburg elementary school, believes it’s the latter. Two years ago, after getting her degree from the Arizona-based University of Phoenix, she passed her Arizona licensing exams on the first try. In North Carolina, she passed the reading and general curriculum portions. But she failed math.


Math has proven to be a stumbling block, said Tom Tomberlin, director of school research, data and reporting for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The first year only 65 percent of teachers passed the new “foundations of math” exam, falling to 54.5 percent by 2016-17, the most recent year reported.

During the first three years of the Pearson exam, that represented 2,386 failures.


Rutherford County Schools Superintendent Janet Mason, who serves as a board adviser, said she understands the concerns. But she also noted that elementary teachers need to understand higher math well enough to teach the concepts that will build the foundation for success in higher grades.

Tomberlin agreed: “It’s too simplistic to say, ‘I’m a kindergarten teacher. I don’t need to know middle school math or high school math.’
”

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article215848065.html

[Anti Federalist]

Reason to homeschool #89241

[Schifference]

If the testing standard for math is lowered with the reasoning that elementary teachers don't need to know more difficult math, they should change the standards for reading and writing also. Why do teachers need to know the math anyway? The answers are in the teacher edition. If a student wants to know why something works a certain way and the teacher doesn't know, just send the kid to the principal's office due to a bad attitude for being insubordinate.

[Zippyjuan]

On the other hand, the private for- profit testing company gets paid each time somebody takes it. The more people don't pass, the more times they have to take it- more money for them.


Teachers in Florida and Indiana have also seen mass failures when their states adopted Pearson testing, according to news reports from those states. Concern about the validity of the Pearson licensing exams is so pervasive that it was discussed at this year’s National Education Association conference, said North Carolina Association of Educators President Mark Jewell.


“Many of us have taken each one 3-4 times each,” she wrote in an email. “There seems to be a magic number of about 4 times per test before Pearson ‘passes’ you.”

Sample question:

https://hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/math-problem.jpg

https://hotair.com/archives/2018/08/01/north-carolina-elementary-school-teachers-struggle-pass-math-portion-licensing-exam/

[Zippyjuan]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/people-are-pissed-at-pear_b_6921702.html


In Massachusetts, teachers are pissed at Pearson. Pearson wanted teachers proctoring PARCC exams to sign a “security agreement“ that threatened their jobs if they failed to comply. The agreement included the warning, in the test manual and on PARCC letterhead, “Failure to abide by the terms of the agreement may result in an investigation that leads to sanctions including employment and licensure consequences, according to your state policies.” The state’s teachers’ union demanded that the Commissioner of Education rescind the signing directive. In response, Commissioner of Education Mitchell Chester issued a memorandum that teachers did not have to sign the PARCC Security Agreement in order to proctor the test.

In New York State, university professors are pissed at Pearson. The State Education Department (NYSED) sent out a survey to University Schools of Education “to obtain feedback from New York State educators regarding the importance of the assessment competencies to the job of an educator in the above field in New York State public schools.” But the survey was not being conducted by the New York State Education Department; it was being done by Pearson. Participants were instructed, “If you have any questions, please e-mail us at es-cvsurvey@pearson.com or call our toll-free number: 1-800-877-4584.” The questions on the survey were also ridiculous. Pearson wanted to know whether reviewers think teacher command of content knowledge and analytical tools in an academic field is of “no importance,” “Little importance,” “Moderate importance,” “Great importance,” or “Very great importance.” Similar messages were sent to school principals. Basically, this was a pretend survey so that NYSED and Pearson could claim experts in the field were consulted in the preparation of teacher certification material.

In New Jersey, parents and students are pissed at Pearson. Pearson has contracted out the “test-security services” to a company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Caveon Web Patrol provides Pearson with “continual, consistent monitoring (of) the internet for illicit sharing of valuable intellectual property.”

Pearson’s agents monitored social media and Twitter after students took a Pearson PARCC exam. They notified state education officials of a possible “security breach.” The state education officials then demanded that schools discipline the students. On its website, Pearson claims “when test questions or elements of a test are posted publicly to the Internet, including social media, we are obligated to alert PARCC states. Any contact with students or decisions about student consequences are handled at the local level.” By any standard Pearson goes to absurd policing extremes. According to the website, “A breach includes any time someone shares information about a test outside of the classroom — from casual conversations to posts on social media.” In Pearson world, students, teachers, and parents are not even allowed to talk about the tests in “casual conversations.”

Forbes magazine reported that Michael Yaple, the director of public information for the New Jersey Department of Education, supported Pearson. According to Yaple, “Students may not realize that each test item involves a substantial commitment of taxpayer expense and a great deal of time and effort of dozens of educators in New Jersey and across the consortium who review and design each test question — which is proprietary, copyrighted material.”

A group called the Badass Teachers Association (BAT) demanded that the United States Justice Department investigate charges that Pearson’s spying on children violates First Amendment and privacy rights. In New Jersey, no cheating was ever implied, only discussing the test. BAT is calling on parents, teachers, and students to email the U.S Department of Justice at AskDOJ@usdoj.gov to demand the investigation.

The American Federation of Teachers, concerned that “Big Brother really is watching,” has launched a petition campaign demanding to know “who Pearson is watching, what they do with the data and what agreements they have with states to monitor what our kids are saying.”

Meanwhile, NJ Advance Media has been examining Pearson/PARCC contracts with the state of New Jersey. They claim the documents show a “complex deal with more than 60 price variables that make it almost impossible to determine how much New Jersey will eventually spend on PARCC testing over the next few years.” Pearson secured the contract to provide the exams without a “traditional competitive bidding process.”

Also in New Jersey, a group called NJ Working Families is protesting against an $83 million dollar tax break Pearson Education received from the state’s Economic Development Authority for moving 628 employees about 27 miles from Upper Saddle River to Hoboken.

In Ohio, schools are pissed at Pearson. Pearson received over 9,600 phone calls, emails and chats from Ohio districts complaining about problems administering online PARCC/Common Core-aligned English and math standardized exams after testing began in February. According to The Columbus Dispatch, “Most of the queries — 86 percent — were related to problems with administering the test, including registering students, getting them into online test sessions and responding to test policies and procedures such as make-up testing.” Students couldn’t log on, some were cut off before finishing the test, and some computers couldn’t operate the system as promised. District technology staff were forced to solve problems themselves instead of waiting on the phone for a response from the Pearson help line. The scores of the spring assessments will not be available until next fall, which means they will not be useful in diagnosing the needs of individual students. The Ohio state legislature is now investigating the impact, delivery, and usefulness of the tests.

In Indiana, the Governor is pissed at Pearson. Pearson was awarded the contract to create the state’s ISTEP standardized tests. But the tests are so expensive that the governor and state legislature are considering getting rid of the tests altogether.

In California, the State Education Department is pissed at Pearson. Pearson recently lost out in bidding to administer state standardized tests and is now threatening to sue. Pearson ranked lowest among the three bidders and was rated poorly in assessment development, test security and administration, technology support and its overall comprehensive plan and schedule of deliverables of the online assessments. Pearson’s reputation was hurt by an ongoing FBI investigation of possible collusion in dealings with the Los Angeles Unified in a contract with Apple and Pearson to supply iPads pre-loaded with Pearson’s Common Core curriculum.

In Colorado, parents are pissed at Pearson. Parents are protesting against the collection of student data by Pearson and are demanding to know how it is being used. In November 2014, high school students in Boulder walked out in protests over the PARCC exams and in the small Peetz Plateau school district nearly a quarter of the students “opted-out” of the exams.

In New Mexico, a judge is hearing a suit brought by another testing company that alleges that there were irregularities when Pearson was awarded the contract to develop PARCC tests for the state. The legal challenge could halt PARCC testing in the state. Meanwhile pissed at Pearson protesters marched on the home of State Education Secretary Hanna Skandera demanding the suspension of Pearson PARCC exams.

In New York City, everybody may be pissed with Pearson. The latest miracle math cure is a “blended” program called School of One. An airport-style algorithm makes it possible to group 120 students in a room for individualized computer-based learning with minimum teacher involvement. The program includes “a library of 12,000 lessons, some created by its staff, but most bought à la carte from companies like Pearson and IXL.” The only problem is that School of One is “expensive, and not yet proven effective.”

An elementary school teacher on Long Island in New York, a former test developer for Pearson, analyzed questions on the third grade Common Core reading test and discovered that the reading level of passages and questions was as much as two years above grade level. He wrote, “It is clear the Common Core state tests have no regard for the most widely understood testing principle — write questions that are on grade level ... Imagine giving 3rd graders 6th, 7th, and 8th grade level questions and thinking this is somehow the proper measure of their growth or their teacher’s instruction.”

According to G. F. Brandenburg, a retired Washington DC math teacher who now blogs on educational issues, Pearson and Common Core advocates are designing math tests that result in “mass failure” so they can “proclaim that public education is a failure and must be abolished.”

[shakey1]

On the other hand, the private for- profit testing company gets paid each time somebody takes it. The more people don't pass, the more times they have to take it- more money for them.





Sample question:

https://hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/math-problem.jpg

https://hotair.com/archives/2018/08/01/north-carolina-elementary-school-teachers-struggle-pass-math-portion-licensing-exam/

nice.

[timosman]

On the other hand, the private for- profit testing company gets paid each time somebody takes it. The more people don't pass, the more times they have to take it- more money for them.





Sample question:

https://hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/math-problem.jpg

https://hotair.com/archives/2018/08/01/north-carolina-elementary-school-teachers-struggle-pass-math-portion-licensing-exam/

1.55x3.55

[CaptUSA]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/people-are-pissed-at-pear_b_6921702.html

Pearson is my new hero! Thanks for this!

[CaptUSA]

1.55x3.55

Yeah, there are about a million ways to figure this out. I used the upper rounding limit and the lower rounding limit. Tells you the correct answer is between 5.25 and 11.25 - only B fits.

[timosman]

Yeah, there are about a million ways to figure this out. I used the upper rounding limit and the lower rounding limit. Tells you the correct answer is between 5.25 and 11.25 - only B fits.

A test like this could explain Seattle's $52M streetcar fiasco - www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?524676-Seattle-s-52M-streetcar-fiasco

[specsaregood]

Yeah, there are about a million ways to figure this out. I used the upper rounding limit and the lower rounding limit. Tells you the correct answer is between 5.25 and 11.25 - only B fits.

yeah, I figured zippy was showing how easy it was.

[Schifference]

Yeah, there are about a million ways to figure this out. I used the upper rounding limit and the lower rounding limit. Tells you the correct answer is between 5.25 and 11.25 - only B fits.

This

[Swordsmyth]

Ban Math!

[heavenlyboy34]

1.55x3.55

wut? :confused: A=lw, therefore A=8 in^2

[specsaregood]

wut? :confused: A=lw, therefore A=8 in^2

fucking Russian art majors. :rolleyes:

[heavenlyboy34]

fucking Russian art majors. :rolleyes:

How helpful:rolleyes: #not (I didn't major in art, btw. I got a 2 year CCL in computer graphic design. СУКА.)

[dannno]

wut? :confused: A=lw, therefore A=8 in^2

That is not one of the multiple choice options. You didn't read the question.

[specsaregood]

How helpful:rolleyes: #not (I didn't major in art, btw. I got a 2 year CCL in computer graphic design.)

Reread the question.
1. Hint, where it says "possible value" not. "whats the value"
2. Hint, where it says "rounded to the nearest whole number"

it takes some problem solving, not just putting in a formula.

[kpitcher]

wut? :confused: A=lw, therefore A=8 in^2

It says the values are already rounded to the nearest whole, so it'd be a measurement of 1.5 - 2 and 3.5 - 4.
So area would be in the range of 5.25 - 8.


Also I have no problems with online universities. As long as they are accredited in some fashion to show they are worth using. You know, a real school, not like a Trump University ;)

[specsaregood]

It says the values are already rounded to the nearest whole, so it'd be a measurement of 1.5 - 2 and 3.5 - 4.
So area would be in the range of 5.25 - 8.


Also I have no problems with online universities. As long as they are accredited in some fashion to show they are worth using. You know, a real school, not like a Trump University ;)

Not quite, the range is larger, like CaptUSA showed. 1.5 - <2.5 3.5 - <4.5

[heavenlyboy34]

Reread the question.
1. Hint, where it says "possible value" not. "whats the value"
2. Hint, where it says "rounded to the nearest whole number"

it takes some problem solving, not just putting in a formula.

Meh, b and c are equally close to the right answer on the number line in that case. ~shrugs~

[specsaregood]

Meh, b and c are equally close to the right answer on the number line in that case. ~shrugs~

Uhm, no. C is outside the range. Maybe they should have written the question in Russian.

[Swordsmyth]

Meh, b and c are equally close to the right answer on the number line in that case. ~shrugs~

C is too large.

[DamianTV]

Did a person fail a Class, or did the Class fail the person? Ask the right questions.

Teachers are just as much a "product" of the Education System as "your children". The real reason that people in general, both teachers and "your children" are failing is because school is NOT intended to teach Math, it is intended to change people into Obedient Workers who are in general too dumb to know the right questions to ask.

John Taylor Gatto - The Purpose Of Schooling (in America)
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?518987-John-Taylor-Gatto-The-Purpose-Of-Schooling-(in-America)


https://youtu.be/eeEWPbTad_Q

[specsaregood]

Did a person fail a Class, or did the Class fail the person? Ask the right questions.

Teachers are just as much a "product" of the Education System as "your children". The real reason that people in general, both teachers and "your children" are failing is because school is NOT intended to teach Math, it is intended to change people into Obedient Workers who are in general too dumb to know the right questions to ask.


funny, I am a product of public schools and I would have no problem with that math test. Were you homeschooled then?

[Swordsmyth]

Uhm, no. C is outside the range. Maybe they should have written the question in Russian.

It's anarchist math.

[DamianTV]

funny, I am a product of public schools and I would have no problem with that math test. Were you homeschooled then?

I wasnt. I believe I had some good teachers as well as some bad teachers. I think when we both went, it was well before schools transitioned to garbage like "New Math" and the difference in way classes are taught today. Hell, we didnt even have computers or internet in classrooms when I went. I think the difference in opinion we may have is that we may have forgotten to place focus on Time. Our teachers did NOT fail math exams because they knew how to do math. Todays teachers are, so the difference is Time. There are some issues with the education we both received, but things were definitely very different for us than they were for people going to school today.

[phill4paul]

I wasnt. I believe I had some good teachers as well as some bad teachers. I think when we both went, it was well before schools transitioned to garbage like "New Math" and the difference in way classes are taught today. Hell, we didnt even have computers or internet in classrooms when I went. I think the difference in opinion we may have is that we may have forgotten to place focus on Time. Our teachers did NOT fail math exams because they knew how to do math. Todays teachers are, so the difference is Time. There are some issues with the education we both received, but things were definitely very different for us than they were for people going to school today.

We had a computer when I went to high skrool. It was in a new class called "computer programming." We got to stamp out time cards and insert them into the machine to get it to perform a function. I remember thinking at the time "well, this shit isn't going to go anywhere." :(

[Anti Globalist]

Well when you're a liberal and a socialist its not surprising that they would fail their math exams.