Va. Board of Education votes to keep 3rd grade history SOL test

If the SOLs were about “teacher accountability” only then would there probably be less of an issue about them. However, the SOLs are only succeeding in “dumbing up” our children. Children who have only been exposed to the SOLs have very little ability to critically analyze anything anymore and in all actuality critical analysis is discouraged. In the real world, they MUST demonstrate critical analysis skills to be able to survive.  What, I ask, was wrong with the former way of teaching our children? Are we as a society saying that everyone who attended school prior to the SOLs are ignorant and received a below standard education? Then, if that is the point, I for one beg to differ. We—or at least I (older individuals) received an excellent education without the SOLs—but I don’t think my grandchildren will be able to say that.  We are losing an entire generation of young people who are being taught to “memorize” the answer to 1+1, but don’t ever ask them to explain the varied reasons for why the sky is blue b/c that requires that they critically assess the possible reasons like: the gases in the atmosphere or the “power of God” or how the colors blend together to create ‘blue’.  Furthermore, the answers on the tests are very subjective, yet there is only one answer that is acceptable—which then penalizes a student for being able to think outside of the box.  For example, one question on the first grade test ask: What do we have now that we did not have years ago. The “correct” answer was computers machine; however sewing machine was also one of the options.  Now for a first grader, the computer has been around FOREVER, but chances are they know very little about a sewing machine—which also was not around at some point “years ago”, yet if a student selected sewing machine it was considered wrong. Only one answer acceptable, yet there were two possible answers. 

In my opinion, not only do we need to get rid of third grade SOLs, but we need to get rid of all standardized test because what is “standard” for one race or ethnicity (or person), may not be “standard” for another.  We need to allow the teachers to once again be creative and come up with ways to teach a diverse group of students—some of whom are visual learners, while others may be audio learners. As it stands now with the SOLs—all of the students had better have a good memory b/c that is all they are learning - how to build their memorization skills—but don’t ask them anything that requires them to think.  So sad…

Congratulations to the state Board of Education for shooting down this proposal.  The teachers squeel like stuck pigs when tests are put in place to measure their performance.  Obviously the Superintendent of Instruction is only trying to remove a valuable tool to measure a teachers performance so they can’t be held accountable when a student was promoted without mastering the required courses.