When I was a graduate student at the University of Kansas, I made some extra money as a test scorer with NCS scoring the portions of standardized tests which could not be scored by the scanner. This involved short answer sections of a math exam and the essay portion of writing exams. The contract I signed stated that I could not divulge any information about the test or the essays, but I can say that not all writing prompts are created equal. This prompt from the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) has to be the worst writing prompt I have ever seen.
While looking out the window one day at school, you notice the principal flying in the air. In several paragraphs, write a story telling what happens. — Bloomberg
Nine year old Tyler Stoken of Central Park Elementary School seemed to think so as well. He had always been instructed to write about the first thing that entered his mind on such tests. The first thing he thought of, however, was his principal as a witch. He thought this was mean, so he left the answer blank.
Under normal conditions, a student may be encouraged to fill in a blank item or asked why he left it blank. But under the intense pressure of No Child Left Behind’s testing component, conditions are not normal. Instead, he was harassed by multiple school personnel including the principal. He was told that his refusal to comply would bring down the performance of the whole school. He was suspended for five days and principal Olivia McCarthy told him, “Good job, bud, you’ve ruined it for everyone in the school, the teachers and the school.” That is a lot of pressure to put on a fourth grader for refusing to answer a question, whether out of defiance, writer’s block or, in this case, not wanting to call his principal a witch.
The note his mother received, dated May 6, 2005, stated, “The fact that Tyler chose to simply refuse to work on the WASL after many reasonable requests is none other than blatant defiance and insubordination.”
“He liked his principal before this,” Amanda Wolfe, Tyler’s mother, said. “He cried. He didn’t understand why she’d done this to him.” Now he is shyer, is afraid of tests and is doing poorer in all his classes. His mother says he blows up at the drop of a hat.
Juanita Doyon, director of Mothers Against WASL, says, “They took a student who loved his school and crushed his spirit. We’ve elevated test scores to be the most important part of school. The principal and teachers are so pressured by the test that they’ve lost good sense in dealing with children.”
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Jason
Nov 06, 2006
Nice story, sounds familiar.
Let’s kill a good thing by working to please the overlords.
Yes mastah’.
Matt
Nov 06, 2006
I remember that the moment my friends and I heard that standardized tests were optional, we all agreed to answer questions randomly, and as quickly as possible, and leave. Of course this was before NCLB.
Matt
Nov 06, 2006
Oh, and by optional, I mean that the grade you got neither counted for nor against you. Making them optional in our minds.
Q
Nov 06, 2006
ah.. they broke him, like a horse. soon he’ll be ready to serve his corporate masters.
the point of the tests is to see what a child’s academic weaknesses are and use that as a guide to giving the child what he or she needs to do better.
clearly this school has no interest in the child doing better, they are more concerned with not being branded as a low preforming school. But if they can’t find in in their hearts to say, teach then they suck as a school and everybody should know, so what they are doing can be interpreted as a cover up of their own failure to educate.
Nigel Watt
Nov 06, 2006
My classmates and I always had fun with the field tests of the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills).
Bruce
Nov 07, 2006
When I was in fourth grade (1964), I might have answered the prompt with a story about the principal flying in a helicopter. By today’s standards, the only politically correct aircraft are government, military, and airliners (you know, the only aircraft ever actually used in a terrorist attack). So, under today’s rules, my creative story would have resulted in my being arrested for inciting terrorism.
However, I don’t think teachers and administrtators ever had any sense dealing with children. The only new part is that now they try to get law enforcement involved for trivial things like Tylenol, or … stories about freedom.
T
Nov 08, 2006
I had a question on a test like this before. It wasn’t the principle flying, but it was something improbable. I wrote a good two pages criticizing the question being asked.
I don’t think he should have been suspended. That principle is a bitch.
T
Nov 08, 2006
At my friends highschool his classes are giving him more story problems for homework and such just to get better WASL scores -_-
Anonymous
Nov 08, 2006
This therefore proof that the Principle is a witch, lets burn her on
the stake.
.
Nov 08, 2006
Eight years from now, after having lost his self control, he will remember her and everything they did to him. He will blame his life on him and take it out violently.
Our schools are responsible for their own shootings.
420isgood
Nov 08, 2006
and we wonder why there are so many school shootings…. sad day when educators put numbers before the health and well being of a child.
420isgood
Nov 08, 2006
Haha look at all the rebels in the replying crowd. Look how special each of you think you are! What a bunch of asshats.
The kid got what he deserved. Didn’t answer? Oh well, consequences.
Brent
Nov 08, 2006
Unbelievable. When you are the principle of an elementary school, at what point is it ok to tell the child that he alone has ruined everything! The way things are going is getting pretty ridiculous, if not scary.
Anonymous
Nov 08, 2006
I was in the first class ever to take the WASL when I was in 7th grade. It is the most assinine test I have ever seen, and the only people that passed the test in my whole school were the kids in my honors English class (myself included). This incident helps to show just how ridiculous the test, and how schools react to it, is. We even had to change our class curriculum for a MONTH before the test to “prepare” for it. Why should you have to do special coursework to prepare for a test that is supposed to test you on what you’ve learned in class? If you need special work to study for it, it’s not a good indicator.
mark
Nov 08, 2006
420, shut the hell up. taking points off for not answering would be fine, but the fact that theyre suspending him for losing points on a test is rediculous.
BlackStallion
Nov 08, 2006
420 is good. Thats pathetic. 420= 4-20=April Twentieth aka Weed Day.
Do you think ur cool because you just stood up for a kid being bitched
at by an adult? Or because ur name is 420isgood???
ur a dumbass.
and I feel bad for the kid. Im the guy who will argue and twist anything
around until im right, and sure wouldnt stand down to something like
that.
mason
Nov 08, 2006
that shit is fucked up, i feel for that kid, hes a good kid, and shouldnt feel any guilt for loyalty to his principLE.
Jerid
Nov 08, 2006
This is a terrible case of power hungry women in the work force. Like this principal should be terminated she obviously has some issues.
Rational Guy
Nov 08, 2006
This is a very, very large load of bullshit. Anyone who believes this should (a) do a Google search and (b) get a psychiatric exam.
The problem was NOT that the kid “refused to call his teacher a witch”. He simply refused to answer the question AT ALL.
So – standardized tests may be stupid.
But whoever the moron is who said the kid refused to say something about his principal being a “witch” – is, well, a complete and utter moron.
S
Nov 08, 2006
Makes you wonder why you’re more likely to be struck by lightning four times than you are to die in a school shooting… particularly if you are the principal.
No Child Left Behind is unreal. When you first hear about it, you must think that surely someone is making shit up; the government cannot be this retarted.
I too was begged to retake the test.. They didn’t understand how I could have the second highest SAT score in the school and end up in the 28th percentile on their idiotic ASL or whatever the hell it is called. But I’m afraid I was a bit busy at the time. And more over, they can all go fuck themselves.
anonymous
Nov 08, 2006
Yeah I agree. That principal was a bitch and she should be fired! SO FUCKING WHAT IF HE DIDN’T ANSWER A DAMN QUESTION! Those administrators need to go suck a cock for all I care.
Drew
Nov 08, 2006
I think this is brainwashing, think about it. This kid is now going to be emotionally unstable and work harder to please his teachers and all that bullshit.
If this happened to me a few years later (middle school) I woulda told them to fuck the fuck off.
Oh, this just reminded me of a test that I bombed on purppose… I got like 10-20% and all they said was “what happened” and I just said it was hard and that was it, no suspention or anything stupid like that, hell I bitch out the principle at my middle school and I didn’t even get suspended.
This kid school is just plain FUCKED UP!
Drew
Nov 08, 2006
she turned me into a newt
Scott
Nov 08, 2006
Burn the witch :P
justin
Nov 08, 2006
that bitch needs to get the shit slapped outta her. right now.
Adam
Nov 08, 2006
RationalGuy – Obviously you are either ignorant or didn’t read the story. The child was always taught to go with what first entered his mind. The first thing that entered his mind was that his principal is a witch. He didn’t want to write about that, hence he didn’t want to write about the first thing that came to mind. He probably just didn’t want to get in trouble, so he left it blank.
As for the principal, she should be suspended or completely discharged. That is no way to be talking to someone who does not understand what is wrong about what they did, especially someone at such a young and impressionable age.
I’m surprised that schools are even allowed to look at their students’s responses. That doesn’t seem fair to me, especially when they are going to be getting money based on these responses. On the other hand, I don’t believe that they should be getting money based off the responses at all. Bad responses means less money, less money means not as good an education, and not as good an education means even worse results than before.
Bleedin' Hell
Nov 08, 2006
Yer one sounds like a right GeeBag
Slappy
Nov 08, 2006
How uneducated you poor americans are. =(
Even the comments here reflect how utterly uninformed many of you are.
(ie: 420 does not refer to a month and day, or “weed day” it’s police
radio code for a drug offense “4-20″ — through the 60-70s and the
wide experimentation with drugs on college campuses this later evolved
into slang for the code word to light up in college; eventually
becoming bastardized into the ‘celebrated’ TIME to light up after
classes.)
But thank Jesus (that’s the leader of the USA right?) they’ve at least
taught the kids of America to fear the evils of witchcraft and to know
better than to say their principal is a witch. Cause I mean, man,
that’s a one way ticket to hell!
McTwisty
Nov 08, 2006
Either way, should anyone be suspended for not answering a question? Thats what it comes down to. Any principal that punishes a child so severely for leaving a question blank is a dick.
Dan
Nov 09, 2006
The kid is a dick that is way everyone gave him a hard time!!!
tone
Nov 09, 2006
First of all, this happened in May, so I don’t know why it’s such a hot topic now, but as a teacher, and someone who’s fed up with high-stakes tests, I naturally wanted to get to the bottom of this. The following links give more information about this situation for those interested.
http://www.komotv.com/news/archive/4152216.html
http://www.curewashington.org/StudentSuspended.html
Yes, the kid did refuse to answer the question, and his “score” will get analyzed, right along with all the other kids’, but that’s his business.
Just last week, I had to administer a state test to high school kids, and some of them really screwed it up, but there’s nothing I can do about that because there are very exact rules about what I can and can’t say to them regarding the test. And berating over not answering a question is absolutely not allowed. When that principal got involved, she really screwed up because those test people don’t mess around. She absolutely broke the law, and if I were the mom, I would probably file a lawsuit against her. That’s why the superintendent got involved so fast; she knows what they’re in for, and I’m sure they’re still dealing with the aftermath.
And as far as his insubordination goes, that isn’t even the issue here. He never would have refused if they hadn’t harassed him in the first place.
tone
Nov 09, 2006
And by the way, look at the picture. It’s not like he’s a jackass 16-year-old delinquent, getting in her face or anything. He’s 9 for God’s sake! Give me a break!
AnonymoUS
Nov 09, 2006
Im in favor of the kids actions or lack there of, and to burn the witch – I mean bitch – or was that priciPAL. As for the side-lining of the 420, I think it started in Berkley CA as a police radio code for smoking marijauana in progress, you’d have to check your High Times for the correct answer ;) To Slappy (presumably not from the US), not all of us where educated in the public system and lived our entire lives with wool pulled over our eyes. But, thanks for bringing to our attention what the real issue is here. Remember the church that ran the dark ages for aprox 1200 years? The “No Child Left Behind” sales pitch by our government is yet another in the attempt to controle all of us like the Church did in the dark ages, and of course, that’s why our fore fathers came here to America, to escape the church’s oppression of the people. Course we’d know that if we where all properly educated to what matters. We all can complain, be ignorant or educated, but untill we (you and I) take action to make changes, then you better get used to saying ‘yes master’ and not just to your corporate boss. I suppose that some of us are trying, that’s why our recent votes put new leadership in Washington D.C., right?
shadow
Nov 09, 2006
being as that 420 has been bitched out already for being a dumbass and obviously a pothead as he/she is no one shold feel something as such. if you think you have the right to destroy a child like that then you and everyone with you should be taken down to the ocean floor and drowned.
AnonymoUS
Nov 09, 2006
oh and don’t forget the new bio-metrics that are now being used in some schools. Its all about tracking our every move, you know big brother lives!
Dana
Nov 09, 2006
Obviously the actual suspension was for refusing to answer the question. That is in the article, and actually I don’t think the reason for his “insubordination” was known until later.
But one…I don’t believe that a student should be suspended for answering a question on a test.
Two…He certainly shouldn’t be told that he “ruined if for the whole school.”
He should have his score marked down. I had teachers who accepted tests from students who forgot to fill in the back of the test. I guess they thought that if you didn’t notice there were two sides to the paper, you deserved the “F.” In elementary, I think it is entirely appropriate to draw a student’s attention to the unanswered question, but that kind of pressure on a nine year old is insane.
Arm
Nov 09, 2006
Heh, my first year of school (excluding kingergarden, which was kinda tolerable) was enough to permanatly crush my school spirit. Any school too.
biggieb
Nov 09, 2006
thats just wrong
Bud
Nov 10, 2006
Homeschool NOW before its too late
justin
Nov 10, 2006
justin
Nov 10, 2006
aristocutionor
Nov 10, 2006
“…they’ve lost good sense in dealing with children”? It’s a lot worse than that. The NEA specifically encourages the inclusion of parents’ participation in their childrens’ education. That’s because despite the majority belief against it and the curriculum has a not so hidden “gray/gay” agenda. The Brit has a point. The dumbing down of America is the direct result of the NEA not giving a squat about the students – it’s all about their PERS. More money is spent providing a fat cat retirement programs than on classroom teaching. What are they teaching? Seems the 9 y.o. is smarter than the cartoon based question, and the clowns running the show. Fire the Principle, and tell the Fed to take a hike like Utah did.
rk
Nov 13, 2006
Slappy is completely correct; “4-20″ (drug related incident) is exactly like “10-4″ (affirmative) and “10-99″ (temporarily unavailable) in the fact that they are police radio shorthand codes. The radio waves are full of interference, codes are unambiguous and easy to repeat. Potheads adpoted the number 420 in a kind of “inverse respect”.
Pretty sharp fer a furriner there, Slappy. The rest of you must either retake your WASL or boast a fat one.
David Vaassen
Nov 13, 2006
While I agree completely with the fact that the child was suspended for a stupid reason, the article is very biased. When reading this you need to take into consideration that the shcool is only trying to operate under the pressures that this no child left behind buisness is producing.
Anonymous
Nov 13, 2006
I hate these damned standardized tests and what schools will do for no
child left behind. 2 years ago my twin daughters were in 4th grade.
A few months after they took the Iowa Basic Skills Tests, we recieved a
letter stating that the school recieved the test results and were
rewarding the children for doing such a good job. Children who scored
high enough were going to have a swimming and pizza party at a rec
center.
As it turned out, all of the children in my daughters’ grade were
eligible to go EXCEPT for 3 children. One of these three children was
1 of my daughters…the other twin was eligible. My daughter and 2 boys
had to stay at school for the day and do homework with a substitute
while everyone else went to the party.
My daughter did not guess at the answers or mess around taking this test
she scored 1 point below the score needed and she has a learning
disability because she was born prematurely. She was heart broken and
came home crying and telling us she must be stupid and that she felt
punished for not being smart! I wanted to strangle the princepal.
Kevin Fields
Nov 14, 2006
I have no problems with standardized testing as a means of getting a basic grasps on how well the system as a whole is working. I don’t put any stock in them as being able to determine whether a particular child is competent. I treated the tests with disdain in school, mainly because they were so easy – and at least at the time, even if I completely stunk up a test, I knew there was no way I could fail because all of my other grades were excellent. By the time I got to high school, I even figured out that much of what I was learning would be of no use other than passing state education standards and standardized testing, and that it would be discarded as soon as the tests were over.
15 years later, I haven’t seen that theory disproven yet.
My kids do well on these things, too. Their teachers have also noticed that they’re exceptionally bright and are on a fast-track to honors classes down the road. At least, in our case, doing well on standardized tests won’t hold my kids down … just makes me feel bad for the exceptional kids who don’t do well on them.
Woof McCookies
Nov 15, 2006
A full academic ducation these days proves little more than the subject’s ability to fall into subordination and reproduce information spoon fed to them. It is not an indicator of intelligence, but only of worth to the state.
Dana
Nov 15, 2006
David,
I don’t disagree with you and am not sure what you mean by “very biased.” It obviously states my personal opinion about this situation and these tests, but I did not attempt to frame it any other way. And I did mention that “under normal circumstances” this wouldn’t have happened, and that because of NCLB, “circumstances are not normal.”
It is all about the testing. What principal would have done this prior to these testing requirements?
Dana
Nov 15, 2006
Kevin,
I actually don’t have a problem with standardized testing in the way you line it out. An independent attempt at an objective assessment could be an invaluable tool to teachers, administrators and districts in providing training and resources. Most students do not struggle with them. They are designed to be minimum competency tests and really, most kids who fail them probably should not be in that grade level.
But a human needs to be able to make the final determination. because their all kinds of reasons that smart kids don’t always do well on them.
The problem is that not every child can perform at this level as measured by a standardized test. Focusing all of our resources at this impossible task is forcing districts to ignore what is in the best interest of each individual student and view them all as members of some subgroup and a number.
And actual gains have been negligible…and no greater than the increase in scores we were seeing prior to NCLB. So why bother with the expense and loss of control of our schools?
Dec 05, 2006
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