Good evening all,
Now that I have this Blog thing figured out, I am able to fire out some work that I have head sitting in wait. The title might seem fitting to my next blog as again, it is about the EQAO.
Recently, I read about the Peel Board's decision to suspend EQAO testing due to catastrophic math results (CBC). It would seem as though the board has "no confidence" in the test, reasoning a "strong discrepancy" when comparing EQAO and report card results. The PDSB Chair, Janet McDougald, is suggesting that because the Ontario government is reviewing the test, that there is a "problem with the test and curriculum". I find this rhetoric to be short-sighted and self-serving.
The EQAO is an external organization, specializing in the assessment of curricular expectations. Their job is to "assesses how well Ontario’s public education system is developing students’ reading, writing and math skills. EQAO provides reliable and useful information that is used to help improve student achievement and ensure the accountability of school boards." (EQAO Website) What I find comical is that the very organization that is keeping our school system accountable is now under attack for producing an assessment that rigorously assesses and accurately portrays student abilities. The EQAO gets nothing out of having low or high results, but it does put scrutiny on the individual boards with low results. Ask yourself this, would there be a heavy-handed push back if the test results showed a majority of passing students? I believe the boards would work in opposite to what we are seeing now, and try to protect the EQAO, in a self-serving agenda. The results, coming out of years of continual review and revision of these tests, show a trend to be more than a problematic test and the Peel Board's push to suspend EQAO testing is nothing short of putting the cart, before the horse. Maybe I watch too much HBO and Netflix TV series, but the more I watch, the more I agree that Art is an Imitation of Life: Swing first, put them on the defense.
Don Henley got it right, Dirty Laundry.
Peel Board CBC Article
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pdsb-eqao-suspension-1.4351445
EQAO
http://www.eqao.com/en
Hi Scot,
ReplyDeleteI think you posted some very interesting arguments that I would in my opinion have to agree on. I agree with the fact that school boards are wanting to dismiss the EQAO due to lower results but would also be on the other side of things if they were doing well and ultimately backing the EQAO. There are a few issues that I do have with the EQAO thought, This is a standardized test which means everyone writes it at a designated time and date in the entire grade. My issue with this is that it does not know the situations that students are encountering on a daily basis in their own lives. What if that morning the student is running late taking care of their younger brother or sister, or if they are experiencing a family issue or an issue within their own life where there head is not focused on that math test for that day. Situations like this can and probably has produced false results. These false results are then being used for policy making and assessment/curricular decisions. I think there is an issue here that needs to be resolved or looked at as well.
Thanks Vince