Comments on: Exit exam under fire

By: Darren

Darren — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:23:47 +0000

Even if the exit exam is no longer given to students, it should be kept around–as a replacement for the CBEST, the California Basic Educational Skills Test that every prospective teacher must take. Too many people fail the 8th grade-level CBEST, and the exit exam is slightly more rigorous.

Imagine being a college graduate and failing a test that most high school sophomores pass on their first go-around.

By: Ragnarok

Ragnarok — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:42:57 +0000

“Am I missing something?”

No, it’s a good question.

I think you’re missing the political subtext, which is to throw a bone to the union.

By: Coach Brown

Coach Brown — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:06:52 +0000

I don’t see why the state doesn’t simply combine STAR Testing and the Exit Exam. Benefits:

-Extra week of instruction
-Makes the STAR meaningful (right now the students could care less)
-Saves money with one test

Am I missing something?

By: dkzody

dkzody — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:32:05 +0000

I agree with Quincy, cut the positions at the Dept of Ed in Sacramento. I am amazed at all the people who work there and all the fancy office space they have for them. I have yet to see what any of them have done for me in the classroom.

By: Ragnarok

Ragnarok — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:26:43 +0000

“Seriously, though, research has shown that class size makes no difference in test scores unless you can get the class size down below 15-17 students per teacher.”

I thought the magic number was closer to 12.

By: Ragnarok

Ragnarok — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:25:46 +0000

What’s sauce for the goose…

“Teachers is not spelled, teadchers.”

And this isn’t good English. Shouldn’t we expect more from our highly-skilled teachers?

By: allen

allen — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:42:58 +0000

One good thing about doing away with the exit exam is that it’ll stop the flow of bad news. That might be analogous to the reaction to close ones eyes just before a car crash.

By: Rex

Rex — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:02:24 +0000

Rick,

You’re lucky you can read anything I type on my hunt and peck tiny keyboard.

Seriously, though, research has shown that class size makes no difference in test scores unless you can get the class size down below 15-17 students per teacher. There’s a lot of money to be saved by increasing class sizes from 21-24 up to 30-35. Tougher on the teacher? No doubt. But no difference to the kids. When time are tough, you’ve got to cut somewhere, and I come down on the side of the kids and taxpayers, not the teachers.

By: Quincy

Quincy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:59:46 +0000

This is standard California politics when it comes to education. Cut anything that’s high profile and will make news, then starve the districts for funding, but make sure no CA Dept. of Education employee *ever* loses their job. We all know that when the goal is educating students, the jobs of navel gazers in state offices should be priority number one.

By: Rick Hefter

Rick Hefter — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:07:03 +0000

If test scores don’t change, (or, as GGW inquires…”what if scores go up?”) maybe schools could save hundreds of millions of dollars by firing 90% of the teachers and increasing the class sizes even more. In fact, a lot more money could be saved by eliminating facilities and administrators as well! Yeah, those crazy teachers’ unions…what do they know?

Oh, Rex — have any of the teachers’ union teachers taught you to proofread? Teachers is not spelled, teadchers.