vision2020
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Still Level testing



Thank you to all who replied to my query. I now feel like I have a better 
understanding of the purpose of these tests. It is nice to be able to get 
answers in this way. It has raised some other questions though. Please bear 
with me as I try to work through it all.  Since we are now doing testing that 
gives, or is supposed to give, good information based on previously set skills 
and achievement, is the district going to do away with the Iowa tests?
It seems that these tests,(Iowa) as Ms. Bechinsky rightfully pointed out do not 
give an accurate picture of what level children are working on.  The other 
question I have is what is the district going to do with this new information? 
My experience as both a former student and current parent is that at the Jr. 
High and High School level there is not an opportunity to teach to the 
individual(as much as we would all like that to happen) there is 1 7th grade 
math course and that is it. There may still be an advanced math course I am not 
sure. But for most one size fits all no matter what the level. It seems to me 
that these new tests will more readily allow teachers to see where a child is. 
Does the district plan to change its curriculum to deal with both ends of the 
spectrum in each subject... ie if a student is great at mathematics and tests 
far above the norm, offer course work for those students. And if that same 
student tests low in English offer a remedial course for that student. Or are 
we still talking about the theory of teaching to individuals in the framework 
of the preset grade level curriculum? I am curious about this because I know 
that by high school there are very few AP courses, or "remedial" courses. How 
will these level test affect what the district currently
offers?

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