On Jan. 4, you ran an editorial on the California High School
Exit Exam, which I think missed the mark. You mention that you
think it’s a reasonable idea that there is a minimum skills test to
pass in order to graduate, but you felt a bigger problem was how so
many kids could pass their classes, yet not pass the CAHSEE.
Editor,
On Jan. 4, you ran an editorial on the California High School Exit Exam, which I think missed the mark. You mention that you think it’s a reasonable idea that there is a minimum skills test to pass in order to graduate, but you felt a bigger problem was how so many kids could pass their classes, yet not pass the CAHSEE.
You mention the word competence. The trouble with the CAHSEE and the whole argument about why kids shouldn’t receive some type of a diploma when they leave school if they haven’t passed it is flawed. The CAHSEE and most standardized tests do not take into account the multiple intelligence theories that are being used in education these days. They also do not take into account different learning modalities that kids have. Staff members here at San Benito High School get training in trying to teach kids using different modalities of learning, i.e. visual, auditory and kinesthetic, and try to tap into the multiple intelligences that kids possess. Therefore it is entirely possible that students can pass a class with a fairly high grade, but not be able to pass a standardized test. The teaching methodologies are more advanced than the testing modalities.
Second, I would like to congratulate my opponents on their victory over the Intelligent Design issue being taught in class. I would like to caution you that though you may have won the battle, I hope it doesn’t cost all of us the war in the long run.
This is what I mean by that: All along, I have stated that kids should be given different views on the subject of the origin of man and be allowed to formulate their own opinions and decisions. One of the reasons I feel kids are not performing as well on several standardized tests is that they are not allowed to study any controversial subjects in public school and therefore can’t formulate opinions and construct persuasive paragraphs with supporting points because they are usually only given one path to follow. In many of our teacher inservices, we study Bloom’s Taxonomy of questions and learning. Basically rote memorization is at the bottom and evaluation, opinion and comparing and contrasting are near the top.
Here is a sample Biology Mastery Unit question after a six-week study of the origin of man.
Sample A: “We have just studied the theory of evolution, natural selection, Darwin’s theories and other research about the origin of man. First, “What is the theory of evolution?” (memorization). Construct a timeline of the evolution of man (synthesis). Form your own theory about why there are gaps in the fossil record (hypothesis). And, lastly, given the information that you have been taught, what do you think will be the next major evolutionary change in man and why (opinion)?
Now sample Question B: “We have just studied the origin of man and we looked at three possible ways this occurred. We studied the theory of evolution, the concept of creation and the idea of intelligent design. First, in your own words summarize each of these three ideas (memorization and a little synthesis). Which of these three ideas has the most basis in scientific fact (evaluation)? Compare and contrast these three ideas and determine whether they can all be correct, or are they mutually exclusive (compare and contrast and evaluation). And, lastly, given what you have been taught and using our own comparison, which do you believe to be correct and why (opinion)?
I simply ask the readers which unit question produces the more well-rounded kid? Which gives more opportunities for questions at the higher end of Bloom’s taxonomy? If you are an employer, which person would you hire? And, lastly, which would you want your own child exposed to?
Randy Logue, Hollister
