The Exponent Telegram – Eric Schulzke
“As primary and secondary schools across the region head into the final month of classes, significant discussion and debate surround the practice of standardized testing. For part of the next few weeks, students will take Smarter Balance tests, which help to gauge how each individual student and the school system are performing. In parts of the country, including West Virginia, there has been an effort for students to opt-out of the testing, with a variety of reasons given. Some believe the tests are part of what they claim to be a grand national conspiracy to federalize the education system through Common Core curriculum. Others believe the tests count too much toward assessing the students’ and schools’ performance, complaining that standardized tests aren’t the best metric to use to determine academic success.”(more)