"At first glance, the assessments now being developed to accompany the
Common Core standards do not appear to be much more than we already
have, at least in terms of subject-matter covered and grade level.
According to the organizations working on developing standards and tests
(PARCC and SBEC), as is the case with NCLB there will be summative
end-of-the-year tests in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school and
these additions: Writing is added as a component of language arts, and voluntary interim testing will be offered through the academic year.
There is reason to suspect there will be a lot more. As Jim Crawford
has stated, “With standards come tests; with more standards, more
tests” (letter submitted to the New York Times, July 17, 2012). PARCC
accepts this, urging the development of an accountability system that
covers P-20 (pre-school through college), and “that supports the full
implementation of the common standards” (PARCC: On the Road to
Implementation: Achieving the Promise of the Common Core Standards,
2010, Achieve, Inc. p. 4).
More Subjects
There are clear signs that the tests will not be limited to language
arts and math. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in his 2010 presentation
“Beyond the Bubble Tests” states that “the study of science, history,
foreign languages, civics and the arts” should be considered part of the
“vital core” and deserve to be assessed. The Department of Education’s
current proposal to reauthorize the ESEA, he announced, would “allow
states to include subjects other than math and English language arts in
their accountability system … the reauthorization blueprint includes
millions for the research, development, and improvement of additional
high-quality assessments — which could include science and foreign
language tests.”
The secretary pointed out that science is an area that should be
tested, but development of science assessments has to wait until science
standards are developed. These standards are being constructed now (http://www.nextgenscience.org).
Similar statements are made in the Blueprint for Reform (U.S. Department of Education, 2010).
Test us too!
The professional educational organizations in a variety of subjects
(I must emphasize, the professional organizations, not necessarily the
teachers) have endorsed the idea of standards and tests in areas other
than language arts and math.
Twenty-one educational organizations have asked for “standards,
assessments, accountability systems, and public reporting of
achievement” for science, foreign languages, civics and government,
economics, arts, history, geography, health and physical education.” (http://www.ascd.org/public-policy/well-rounded-education.aspx.)
It was clear that they were not only asking for standards but for tests
as well: Their request specifically mentions “standards, assessments,
and accountability systems"."
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