Lindsey Wainscott Due 4/15/2013

Joining the Conversation #3:

Wainscott: Moderator, playing student teacher Popham: Test Proctor, Against standardized testing
Popham, James. "Why Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational Quality." Educational Leadership. (1999): 1-10. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

Moon: Test Proctor, Against standardized testing

Moon, Tonya R. State Standardized Testing Programs: Their Effects on Teachers and Students. Connecticut: University of Connecticut, 2007. 234. Print.

Weaver: Test Proctor, For standardized testing

Weaver, Keshia. "Standardized Testing Measuring the Academic Success of Students." Standardized Testing Measurement of Academic Achievement. (2011): 1-11. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

Graham: Test Proctor, For standardized testing

Graham, Cameron. "Standardized Testing and the construction of governable persons." Journal of Curriculum Studies. (2004): 1-7. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

Thomas: Test Proctor, For standardized testing

Thomas , Karen. "Whats at Stake in High-Stakes Testing: Teachers and Parents Speak Out." Journal of Teacher Education. 51.5 (2000): 1-14. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

Setting: This play consists of six characters. The play opens with Wainscott passing out scantrons to a group of students taking the SAT. Wainscott is a student teacher who raises the question of why students have to take standardized tests. This sparks a conversation between the other five proctors for regarding their own personal and scholarly opinions on the issue.

Wainscott: (passing out scantrons) Why do students have to take these dumb tests anyway? Do they ever even measure students? Whats the point? Moon: No! The tests put way too much pressure on teachers. I mean, all they do is teach for the sake of test scores. Popham:

Well, yeah. The tests arent doing their job. They dont measure students intelligence or how well they have learned. Thomas: Yes, but tests are so important! They keep the parents involved in their childs schooling. Its a sure fire way to keep everyone on an equal playing field. Popham: Not a chance. The testing isnt equal at all. They dont measure whats truly important. Graham: Well who is to decide whats important? I think that the tests make people more governable. It keeps everyone in line and Thomas, youre right. Testing IS equal. Thomas: Exactly! Weaver: Right! It doesnt measure understanding of material, only memorization. That isnt learning. Graham:

Theres more to learning than critical thinking. We cant just ignore the slower students. Moon: No, we cant ignore the lower level students but we cant expect to keep the higher students behind! Weaver: But how are we supposed to measure students then? There is no way we are going to make everyone happy. Really what matters is what the parents think! Its their kids... the tests keep them involved. Moon: Who are you to decide whats important? How about the educators? Those are the people shaping our children and our future and they are cracking under pressure! They arent happy. Popham: Now, now. We cant bash the tests completely. The makers of these tests have good intentions. They originally just wanted an even way to assess these studnets. Although it hasnt ended up that way, they at least tried. Moon:

Well of course they tried. But this even way to measure studnets has turned into a nightmare. There isnt just pressure on the teachers but the studnets too! Thomas: But the parents! They are too important to forget. I did reasersch interviews on parents of students and created a case study from it. The parents had a unanimous opinion that the tests were the one thing that keeps them involved with their kids. Graham: Standardized tests have more to do with the people taking them though. The tests help these students form into functioning members of society. In order to even think about changing these methods you have to know the history of the present. I have studied teaching and testing methods from the 1970s to now. Practicing regulated testing makes create a more controlled environment society. Moon: Well thats what is putting all the pressure on teachers and students! All the regulations. The testing is too strict. Wainscott: Okay everybody, lets just relax. The test is about to start! We cant be talking the whole time. We dont want a misadministration!