wrote in message
...
On Wed, 5 May 2010 16:38:45 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

There is a lot of hype from the teachers saying tests don't matter but
the reality is, if you can't do well on tests, you will never be able
to get a decent job.


Well.... some people just don't test well. I have an attorney friend who
tried the Cal Bar three times before he passed. He's a heck of a lot
smarter
than I, and he makes a heck of a lot more money. I've known a couple of
biologists who are quite bright, but never did well on test and never got
advanced degrees.

I think tests can be an indication of future success, but I don't think
they're the last word on the subject.


Unfortunately they are a fact of life and the sooner kids learn how to
take a test the sooner they will succeed in the 21st century society.
In Florida you can't even cut hair or do fingernails without passing a
standardized test. Obviously, as you pointed out, all "professions"
use tests for a benchmark. It is also the key to getting into a decent
college, getting a decent job in the military or even things as
mundane as a driver's license.
Without test skills your only paths to success are as a rock star,
athlete or drug dealer.


Well... there are certainly other choices, but I get your point. So, the
question is to what should teachers teach? If they teach for knowledge, then
there'll be some who can't cut it on tests. If they teach for test taking,
then the kids aren't necessarily learning. Seems like a combination is what
I had and what should be done. I think that's mostly happening, but far too
many teachers are teaching test passing. There's got to be a coherent way to
evaluate teachers, based on knowledge.