Category Archives: testing

Traversing the Chasm between Research and Practice in Education: My response to “Professors, We Need You!”

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on February 15, 2014

Nicholas Kristof, NYTimes columnist, recently published “Professors, We Need You!” This piece argued that academics are essentially irrelevant in the biggest debates in our society because they isolate themselves in the ivory tower and cultivate a culture that values nearly … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, collaboration, education, literacy, making change, policy, reform, teaching, testing, the system | 4 Comments

Going gradeless and ending up at the Common Core

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on February 2, 2014

I have a confession to make. I’m one of those teachers who has claimed to know the standards. I’ve claimed to know that I’m covering the standards just fine thank you very much, I don’t need to have them all … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st century teaching and learning, assessment, CCSS, cultivating real learning, first gradeless series 2013-2014, grading, literacy, making change, muddling through, not grading, policy, reform, testing, writing | Leave a comment

Art. Is. Power.

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on November 22, 2013

Day one of #ncte13 and my mind is full, in that way that only happens here surrounded by my people. Thank you everyone who pushed my thinking today. And thank you especially to First Wave’s hip hop art masterpiece at … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st century teaching and learning, cultivating real learning, education, engagement, gratitude, literacy, making change, reform, testing, things made of awesome | Leave a comment

Testing Backlash: Zombies, Spoken Word, Opting Out

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on April 28, 2013

Perhaps you’ve seen this video: “I will not let an exam result decide my fate” by Suli Breaks, spoken word poet out of the UK: I’ve seen it because my students pretty much demanded I see it after I showed … Continue reading →

Posted in education, policy, testing | 1 Comment

Standardized tests are killing our students creativity, desire to learn – The Denver Post

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on March 11, 2013

From a fellow Colorado teacher as we head into week two of state-mandated testing in our school this week: Standardized tests are killing our students creativity, desire to learn – The Denver Post.

Posted in policy, testing, the system | 1 Comment

Everything You’ve Heard About Failing Schools Is Wrong | Mother Jones

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on August 27, 2012

Powerful piece here written by a journalist who spent several months in Mission High School in California. This tells the story of a school that is successful with its diverse population on every measure except the standardized tests. These tests … Continue reading →

Posted in policy, reform, stories, testing | Leave a comment

Meaningful Assessments on Large and Small Scales

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on August 10, 2012

How Can We Make Assessments Meaningful? | Edutopia. I came across this article courtesy of one of my colleagues from my time in Phoenix this past summer (thank you!). I think it’s a very thoughtful piece on meaningful assessment. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st century teaching and learning, assessment, policy, testing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Should Student Test Scores Be Used to Evaluate Teachers? – WSJ.com

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on July 10, 2012

Shared with us by one of our colleagues, a great point/counterpoint conversation about whether or not student test scores should be used to evaluate teachers: Should Student Test Scores Be Used to Evaluate Teachers? – WSJ.com.

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A well-reasoned argument against the current testing regime

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on June 14, 2012

Please read and pass along. More of us need to be speaking up and out against testing testing and more testing… NYC Public School Parents: Carol Burris’ testimony on the current testing regime.

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Why the sudden interest in my list of what to do while actively proctoring a mandated test?

by Sarah M. Zerwin Posted on June 13, 2012

We’re perplexed–suddenly today already 60 readers have found my post from spring 2011 on what to do while actively proctoring a state-mandated test. That’s kind of a lot of readers for us on a given post in a single day, … Continue reading →

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