SBAC: Test, Label, and Punish

After the President of the Delaware State Board of Education, Dr. Teri Quinn Gray, was quoted in different media sources about House Bill 50 and opt-out,  former blogger and current teacher and President of the Red Clay Educators Association Mike Matthews shot out an email to Dr. Gray and several others in response to Gray’s comments.  With Mike’s permission, I present his email:

• Matthews Michael
• Today at 9:21 AM

To

• Gray Teri

 

CC

• Johnson Donna R
• Murphy Mark
• Markell Jack
• Frederika.Jenner@dsea.org
• Sokola David
• Townsend Bryan
• Jaques, Jr Earl
• Williams Kimberly
• Matthews Sean
• jyd1988@gmail.com
• kevino3670@yahoo.com
• Kowalko John
• KOOK JACKIE
• KEMPSKI MICHAEL S

Dr. Gray:

I read with some concern a comment you made to WDEL, which was:

“It [SBAC] does provide information for parents, teachers, educators and the community about how we’re doing in terms of implementing curriculum.”

Could you please detail for me the information that is provided by this test? Further, can you provide for me details on how this information will at all be relevant for teachers to provide immediate feedback to students and parents as well as their ability to shift lesson planning to address those needs, especially considering scores won’t be revealed for more than three months after the test has been administered? Also, I’m a bit confused by your statement that this test will measure “how we’re doing in terms of implementing curriculum.” The Governor and many others have said for years that Common Core is not a curriculum, but your quote would seem to say otherwise.

Further in the article, you state “Most of the students will benefit from the test.” Again, could you provide meaningful data or evidence to back up this statement? How will students benefit? For nearly 15 years, students have been subjected to standardized tests, but neither the Executive nor the Legislative branches of government over two administrations have done much of value in taking the deficiencies we KNOW our schools have and then addressing those deficiencies in a tangible way. It’s my expectation that we will continue this status quo under SBAC: Test, Label, and Punish. More Priority Schools. More of the same. So, how exactly do students benefit? I look forward to hearing your specific examples. 

Wishing you all the best and looking forward to seeing you at the HB 50 hearing this afternoon.

Mike

Well said Mr. Matthews.  Between the DOE’s current bid proposals for upcoming contracts regarding school accountability, the pending “discussion group” regarding Delaware colleges and universities embedding Smarter Balanced into more areas, and pending priority school contracts, it seems like the DOE and the State Board are not thinking twice about backing away from Smarter Balanced.  The drums of war between those who side with the false ideology of Governor Markell, the DOE, and the State Board of Education and the realistic logic of teachers, parents, the Delaware PTA, and DSEA are getting louder by the minute folks.