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What is frustrating for me about NCLB and the testing that accompanies it, is the lack of learning focus. As a teacher in Washington, I am responsible for teaching my middle school students the state produced learning requirements called Grade Level Expectations (GLEs). These learning requirements, I feel, are vastly more comprehensive than those assessed on the state test for NCLB. My problem is that one test drives instruction for schools rather than a diverse set of learning targets. Schools are now leaving behind important aspects of education - art, creativity, research, and higher level thinking in place of the skill set necessary to pass a standardized test. It is not a negative to assess students and have high expectations (those are necessary)however I believe it is a detriment to our students place such emphasis on one test.

washington middle school teacher

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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