snip
The local schools are already being forced to teach to the test. I
reviewed my older daughter's science text and thought it was apalling.
There would be a 10-page section mediocre discussion of pressure in the
ocean and atmosphere, followed by an inane 10-p discussion of pressure
in the blood system. There was little to unite the two concepts in that
both dealt with a term called pressure that was very poorly described. I
told her teacher that I didn't envy him having to teach with a book that
was structured so poorly. He said the book was the best of a bad lot
and that they chose it over one that they preferred because the content
was closer to that being tested with the MCAS. He said that their
previous model was that earth sciences were dealt with in a unified
package in one year, followed by the life sciences in the years before
and after. However, the MCAS tests both earth and life sciences in one
exam, so they couldn't go a year without covering both with the same
text. I fear that decisions like this are being made state-wide.
--
Eugene D. Gallagher
ECOS, UMASS/Boston
*****************************************************************************
And get use to it. This is the way it is done in Texas and I expect there to be a big push out of Washington in the near future for everyoone to move in this direction.
------------------------------------
Paul R. Swank, PhD.
Professor & Advanced Quantitative Methodologist
UT-Houston School of Nursing
Center for Nursing Research
Phone (713)500-2031
Fax (713) 500-2033
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