Ms. Price,

    I found this email very interesting.  I currently am a middle school
educator and worked as a teacher on the elementary level for 5 years.  I
have discovered that formalized testing is an inevitability that the public
school system must use in order to determine a student's comprehension of
the required skills. However, I feel that standardized testing is too
heavily relied on to assess student achievement.  Performance assessments,
written assessments, oral evaluations, etc...are just as effective and in
many ways are more appropriate to evaluate learners.  These types of
evaluations can be more subjective (rubric bases) and certainly more
expensive/time consuming to administer.  That being said, I understand why
states must use standardized testing,  However, why do they need to evaluate
pre-school learners in a similar matter?  These children are 3-5 years old
in many cases. These pre-schools are teaching them basic skills that they
would probably see in kindergarten.  Pre-schools are an excellent
environment for children to learn socialization skills early and become
adjusted to a formalized educational setting.  Why does this task force feel
the need to evaluate skills that they will have to master before moving on
to 1st grade? Thanks so much and I hope everyone has a great turkey day =)

Eric Bragg


On 11/16/07, Gail Price <gprice at famlit.org> wrote:

>

>  The PEN Weekly NewsBlast had a blurb today about a study by the National

> Early Childhood Accountability Task Force. I am including the blurb below,

> but am also giving you additional links. I could not get the one in the

> article to work – maybe it will be OK by the time you get this. However, if

> the link doesn't work and you would like to read the article, try the links

> I have included.

>

>

>

>

>

> NATIONAL TASK FORCE DESIGNS PRESCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM

> Since 2005, the National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force has

> studied the performance of early education programs in order to come up with

> the best practices states can employ to ensure early education improves

> student achievement. In studying preschool initiatives, which states have

> spent $1.9 billion on over the last four years, the task force found that

> few states have implemented comprehensive assessment systems that would

> ensure early education returns the expected results. To address the many

> challenges states face in implementing this type of accountability system,

> the task force recommends that states do the following: develop a unified

> system of early childhood education; align high-quality and comprehensive

> standards, curriculum, instruction and assessments; and, support the full

> inclusion of all children in programs and accountability systems; and

> provide programs with adequate resources. >From this set of core principles,

> states can then use different approaches to create an accountability system

> that fits their particular needs. For the next 18 months, the Council of

> Chief State School Officers will use these findings to help states

> strengthen their preschool program performance.

> http://www.fcd-us.org/resources/resources_show.hm-doc_id=579564

>

>

>

>

>

> This link is to a pdf of the article.

> http://www.fcd-us.org/usr_doc/Accountability_Task_Force_Final_Report1.pdf

>

>

>

> This link takes you to the Resource Library of the Foundation for Child

> Development which gives additional information about the report.

> http://www.fcd-us.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=579564

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Gail J. Price

>

> Multimedia Specialist

>

> National Center for Family Literacy

>

> 325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

>

> Louisville, KY 40202

>

> gprice at famlit.org

>

> 502 584-1133, ext. 112

>

>

>

>

>

> *Join us for the 17th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy!**

> **"Literacy Grows Families and Communities"**

> *March 30, 31, & April 1, 2008-Louisville, KY

> Register online at www.famlit.org/conference

>

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

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