Public Education Advocates Newsletter

February 13, 2007 Issue #6

Graduation portfolios

Earlier this week, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced a change to graduation portfolios. For the past several years, students in Grades 10-12 had to build a portfolio showcasing their work in several curriculum areas. Teachers were troubled by the introduction of portfolios and have struggled with its implementation. The main concerns about the grad portfolio requirement are:

the complex and unwieldy nature of the portfolio
the lack of funding for implementation
the potential barrier to graduation for our most vulnerable students
the gap between have and have-not students is widened.

Standardized testing

Teachers continue to feel uneasy about the government's persistent need to use standardized tests with children as young as 10. Relentless data collection on students has been a hallmark of this government. Approximately $60 million is spent annually to gather information that does not improve students' learning experiences nor provide additional resources where needed. When compared to the $10 million spent annually for textbooks, teachers wonder about the government's priorities for its students. Find out more.

FSAs

Foundation Skills Assessment, commonly referred to as FSAs, are standardized tests all Grade 4 and Grade 7 students in BC must write. Teachers feel uneasy about the affect these exams have on young students and question the purpose of administering them when needed resources do not follow test results.

Teachers believe strongly in assessment that is authentic, valid, and drawn from many sources. Student success is best measured by using a wide variety of assessment tools such as quizzes, tests, homework, projects, and written and oral reports. Valid assessment is based on the curriculum taught.

Time for teaching and learning is taken away by school districts who encourage teachers to prepare students for the tests. It is not unheard of for schools to exclude certain students from writing the FSAs so that the school's overall score or ranking is better. This often means that ESL and students with special needs do not participate. Teachers know the validity of FSAs is questionable.

No additional support or resources are provided to students or schools where a need may have been determined. It appears that FSAs serve only one purpose-to gather information on students. Parents, too, question the validity and necessity of these tests. As one parent recently stated, "I don't owe the government any data on my child."

More and more parents are withdrawing their students from writing the FSAs by writing a letter to the principal. Student participation is optional upon the written request of parents.

Simon Fraser University has developed a web site rich with information on testing in general.

Fraser Institute school rankings

Every year, the Fraser Institute ranks schools according to FSA (Foundation Skills Assessment) results. Teachers question the purpose and validity of these rankings. They understand that socio-economic status and parent education levels are two important factors not considered when ranking school results. The rankings do not highlight, showcase, or even acknowledge the tremendous work parents, teachers, and the community offer to schools that face difficult challenges.

Watch a report about the lowest-ranked school in the province to see what teachers, parents, and students really accomplish. Read what Globe and Mail reporter Gary Mason had to say about "BC's worst school may just be the best" by scrolling to the bottom of this page.