In 2010 the New Zealand Government introduced a system of achievement standards, called the National Standards, for English-medium schools with student’s in years 1–8 (Ministry of Education 2009, Cited Smaill, 2013). These standards set national standards which is based on children’s achievement expectations in each year level. They “describe the achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics that will enable students to meet the demands of the New Zealand Curriculum” (Clark, 2010, p15). With a curriculum that is so dependent on students reaching a standard that is set by the government, are we supporting the children of New Zealand to use the strengths they hold to learn what they want to learn or what is important for them to learn within …show more content…
Children are assessed on what they can do and not what they do not know to put them within a standard. I feel that children from a young age are taught that everyone has to meet a standard and it does not matter about the different strengths and weaknesses that they hold, which can be an aptitude to their lifestyles, they are going to be assessed for their reading, writing, and mathematics …show more content…
Parents are more aware of what happens in schools so the pressure to get children ready for national standards moves on to early childhood teachers. Teachers are allowing time for children so the transition to school is smother. However, the New Zealand curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2008) was created to follow the Te Whāriki to create the alignment of curriculums. With the pressure to get children ready for school are we creating a positive experience for children during this critical transition. “New Zealand assessment expert Terry Crooks worries that national standards have possible downsides that are frightening and might turn off many children from learning” (Hammonds, 2009, p9). If we start children to early with directed teaching and learning are we supporting their love for learning impacting on their lives in the future. With the pressure to get children ready for school we are adding more work to early childhood teacher’s workload which can impact on the children who are moving to primary
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was implemented in England in 2008 and applies to all children aged 0-5. This new curriculum combined existing government ideas regarding the care of under 5s including the 'Every Child Matters' (ECM) policy: children's services have to respond to 5 outcomes for all children from birth to 18: being healthy, being protected from harm and neglect, being enabled to enjoy and achieve, making a positive contribution to society, and contributing to economic well-being. The statutory EYFS document stated a need for a 'coherent and flexible approach to care and learning' (DfES - Department for Education and Skills 2007; cited in Palaiologou, 2010, p.11 ), and ensures a quality experience for children regardless of the pre-school setting. EYFS and its direct predecessors were introduced based on the realisation that quality of teaching and management of schools play a central role in children's quality of learning, not socio-economic and educational background, as was previously thought. Pre-school education was seen as a method of helping children 'break the cycle of deprivation' (Baldock, 2009, p.20). However, research by Potter immediately prior to the inception of the EYFS concluded that due to 'insufficiently rigorous conceptual underpinnings, particularly in the area of language and communicatio...
...wledge which can be detrimental to the students who have surpassed these standards. The test does not encourage students to increase their knowledge, but only to meet requirements. Teachers should be able to tell if a student is ready to pass on to the next grade level without a standardized test based solely on each student’s grades, work, and intelligence as revealed in the classroom.
Though standardized testing has played a part in America's education system it took several tries before it played such a large role in education like it does today. The No child left Behind Act of 2002 was the foot hold standardized testing needed in order to be implemented into schools at a national level with such force. During the 1990’s the U.S felt as though it was falling behind on the Programme for International Assessment. “After No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed in 2002, the US slipped from 18th in the world in math on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place in 2009, with a similar drop in science and no change in reading”(walker 1).
With reference to the secondary curriculum in England, emphasis is placed upon the aims, values and purposes of education. With the implementation of the curriculum, pupils should be given the foundations to develop and apply the knowledge, skills and understanding that will help them become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens; regardless of social background, culture, race, gender, differences in ability and disabilities (QCDA, 2010). In doing so, children will become more aware of, and engaged with, their local, national and international communities; and effectively widen their po...
Standardized tests have been used to see how much a child has learned over a certain period of time. These tests have been a highly debated issue with many parents and just people in general. In the article “Opting out of standardized tests? Wrong answer,” the author Michelle Rhee argues that people should not be trying to opt out of standardized tests because it allows the country to see how much a child has learned and the things they need to improve. On the other hand, in the article “Everything You’ve Heard About Failing Schools Is Wrong,” the author Kristina Rizga argues that standardized tests are not an efficient way to measure a student’s intelligence.
Most controversies over education are centered around the question of how strictly standards should be upheld. The concern over whether or not flunking students is appropriate or even in the best interest of the student is a widely discussed topic. The argument often begins with students just starting school where the question of standardized testing for kindergartners arises. The majority of people are actually against such testing because they feel that a child who is labeled as a failure at such an early age may be permanently damaged (Bowen 86). The worry over the failure issue is further traced to educators who feel children just entering school are not fully prepared. Teachers are faced with kindergarten students who do not know their addresses, colors, and sometimes even first and last names (An ‘F’ 59).
The United States has persistently been ranked at the bottom when it comes to education among developed countries. They have tried to come up with strategic ways to change their ranking, like standardized tests. This is an administered test over certain subjects like Math, English, History, and Science, and the form is the same for all test takers. They were not the first country to develop this method; in fact, this method was inspired from other countries that appeared to be doing better than them and still remain ranked at the bottom.
Standardized testing was once a good idea, to test the students’ capabilities and to see how they compare with other districts, but teachers teach using different methods and focus on different issues. What they think is important may not be what other teachers feel is important or what the state thinks is important. So, as a student you learn more about what the teacher deems important, but are evaluated on by what the state thinks is important. Standardized tests are not a reliable way to evaluate someone’s intelligence. This brings us back to what the students were taught in class and how it has been assimilated. Curriculum is said to be affected by the standardized test. Some critics say, “That teachers are going to teach what will be covered on the test and unfortunately the information not covered on the test is not taught” (Banta, p.2). I know that if st...
Solley, B. A. (2012). On Standardized Testing: An ACEI Position Paper. Childhood Education, 84(1), 31-37. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2007.10522967
From many years, it is known that each and every person on this plant are not identical. We all learn by nurture, using what we have from nature, in widely different ways. Yet, we expect every person in America’s schools to take tests that are based off of the normal, the typical . Standardized tests have set a bar for a normal society, a society that is not normal and not standard. Taking tests that are meant for the normal human is wrong. Expecting humans to become normal; devalue their strengths and weaknesses; and change school to be more about passing a class than learning from the class. Standardized testing does not measure the capability of a certain individual and decreasing the funds and benefits for the students who suffer from this
There are many important things children gain while growing up; the most important thing children gain growing up is their education. The educational skills children learn in school teach them the skills they need to perform outside of the classroom and in the workforce. With education being one of the most important gains in the lives of children, it has come to light how in recent years the United States has fallen further and further behind their peers in international rankings. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2009 educational scores the United States ranks “33” (1), which is lower than the 2002 ranking of “18” (CNN). With such a decrease in the United States ranking, parents wonder why American students are falling behind. The No Child Left Behind Act, standardized testing, and the large use of technology are some of reasons why the United States is falling behind in educational rankings.
The point here is that standardized testing is necessary to evaluate students and programs achievement or ability. In my opinion it is a good basic start to understanding the development of human- kind in many aspects. For example, in a school setting, standardizing tests are used to measure developmental stages or reading levels, just to name a few. School Psychologist and Counselors use standardizing testing to look at the development of students. They will agree severe disabilities to be initially detected by some source of standardized testing. On the other hand, standardizing testing is useful for teacher as a method to determine reading or math levels of students. Teachers and students benefit, as it allows for teachers to meet students where they are and to detect possible learning disabilities. Teachers are then able to referred students to the psychologist or programs in which students are able to receive aid accordingly.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki early childhood curriculum: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum.Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.
It is important that teachers give children a fair chance to show their knowledge when assessing. “The purpose of assessment is to provide feedback that can be used to improve student performance” (Orange 2000). Teachers assess children to ensure that they are understanding the material, and to make sure they are learning. For young children, tests should never be the only criteria for assessment. Instructors should always make sure that their assessment is fair.
The purpose of early childhood education is to firstly learn about one’s self and agency, how one’s actions can affect and impact others; to develop a sense of identity; who you are and how you fit into this world. Experience a sense of belonging through interactions with peers and teachers whilst celebrating and sharing diverse cultures whilst embracing others. Children need to have opportunities to explore, experiment, to gain insight and knowledge in numeracy, literacy, science and social structure through innovative and richly supported curriculums (DEEWR, 2009). I have very high expectations of all children as I believe that this assists in building self-confidence and