| In the Pittsburgh PS, how much testing is enough? from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette…
“Get those No. 2 pencils ready. “In the Pittsburgh Public Schools this school year, a total of more than 270 tests — required by the state or district — will be given to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. “In fourth grade alone, there are 33 required tests, just shy of one a week on average and the most of any grade level. That’s s
till about 10 fewer tests than fourth-graders took last year. “The district has no choice for some of them; the state mandates them. “In fourth grade, the state requires the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests in math, reading and science (three tests), and the GRADE test, a standardized reading test published by Pearson required for recipients of Keystone to Opportunity reading grants (three tests). Beyond that, fourth-graders also take DIBELS Next, a brief oral standardized test of reading fluency (three tests); reading module tests that are hybrids created by the reading publisher Macmillan/McGraw-Hill and district staff (15 tests); reading unit tests, also hybrids, (five tests); and math benchmark tests created by district staff (four tests)…” |
