Free the Charters: Assessment Holds Them Down
STARS teacher Robin McRae (right) talks with a parent and students during the school's open house last fall. Hannah Sharpe
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The front-page stories in the Feb. 13 edition of The Pilot, headlined “Charter Shakeup,” certainly caught my attention — both as the former principal of one of our local charter schools, and as a serious fan of Sir Ken Robinson’s “school” of thought.
The new charter school bill before the legislature is generating a lot of buzz here in Moore County and across the state, because in the midst of such widespread dissatisfaction with the traditional public school system, the public continues to look for some hope of real education reform on the horizon.
It’s not going to happen.
The reason is that, as Fred Wolferman pointed out in his Feb. 11 opinion column about Sir Ken Robinson, public schools generally do exactly what they were intended to do when they were established at the time of the Industrial Revolution, which was to train workers for a new economy.
It wasn’t genuine education the way, say, Socrates would have imagined it. Or even as our Founding Fathers experienced it. But it was an efficient system that still, for the most part, serves its purpose today — even if in many ways it remains a bit antiquated. That doesn’t mean genuine education doesn’t sometimes happen through the work of many good people in that system, but it happens in spite of the system, not because of it.
And offering a genuine education is becoming harder by the day, because the so-called success of a public school is determined by a corporate and political tool, not by a genuine form of academic assessment.
I speak of standardized testing — better known in North Carolina as the End of Grade (EOG) or End of Course (EOC) tests.
Standardized testing is an inferior means of attempting to assess whether or not real learning has taken place in the classroom. It has its roots in deals made between testing companies, textbook publishers and political lobbyists, all of whom convince our lawmakers that “standards” and “accountability” according to their flawed models are the best ways to “improve” our schools and make us “globally competitive.”
Politicians need easily digested information they can talk about on their campaign trails, and standardized testing proves to be an intellectually lazy but politically palatable way to give our lawmakers the sound bites they need to make their points and further their agendas.
And so schools become sterile test preparation centers instead of bastions of intellectual enlightenment, which frankly works quite well considering the intent of the public school system’s founders.
But ask any teacher in this county if he or she would teach differently were the tests not part of the equation. Of course they would. They’d teach for the sake of learning, not for the sake of testing.
It is a rare public school indeed where we find intellect meaningfully developed and creativity deeply valued — not because of the good people who work hard in our schools, but because of the system in which they are working.
In the past, because innovation has been their reason for being, I believe we’ve seen some real out-of-the box approaches to education in our charter schools — at least in the schools where I have been employed. The creative capacity of divergent thinkers is a beautiful thing to behold, and in the classrooms of some amazing teachers, you can find it.
I found it, for instance, among Mrs. Lovendahl’s seventh-grade students at STARS, with whom I sat and spoke this past fall, who so skillfully questioned the validity of the test prep questions they were being asked in their reading class.
Quite a few of those students will miss quite a few of the intended answers to the questions on the EOGs this spring. And they will get the answers “wrong” not because they aren’t smart enough, but because they are frankly too smart for the narrow-minded tests.
I know how smart they are, because I sat with them and listened to their complex and mature thought processes as they unpacked the flaws in the questions they were being asked. Standardized tests can never measure such brilliance.
Unless charter schools are permitted a radically different means of assessment in any new proposals put forth, they won’t be much different than regular public schools. They may have smaller class sizes, serve a particular niche, or offer a distinct twist to the curriculum. But in the end, if they are assessed the same way, then they must operate the same way.
STARS Principal Wes Graner is absolutely correct when he says that charter and public schools are trying to do the same things, and that the increased funding called for in the charter school bill would mean more regulation, not less.
And that means less innovation, not more. You could say the jury is still out as to whether charter schools have to this point met the challenge of being truly innovative in a way that provides a rich and meaningful education for our students.
But as long as the jury is bound to decide according to conventional, narrow methods of corporatized and politicized standardized assessment — methods that are frankly incapable of discerning whether rich and meaningful learning has taken place — there won’t ever be a valid consensus. When success is defined by a yardstick that is anything but innovative, charter schools will continually be at odds with the mandate for innovation, and the mandate for testing success.
It’s fulfilling the latter mandate that will keep charter schools’ doors open.
Sue Kemple, former principal of Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School, is currently working with former STARS Vice-Principal Paul Murphy on an arts in education initiative outside the public school system. She can be reached at ncartseducation@gmail.com.
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Comments
Ross 1 year, 3 months ago
I wonder how these "too bright for regular school" kids will hold a job with no usable skills.
calista 1 year, 3 months ago
The exact quote is, "too smart for the narrow-minded tests", not "too bright for regular school". Many students in public schools are too smart for the narrow-minded tests also. These are the kids who will not "hold a job" but own businesses and create solutions to some of the world's problems that they have inherited. They haven't been "trained" for a job but instead have been taught to think for themselves, debate, ask questions and solve problems. Their ambitions are more than just holding down a job. They are the entrepreneurs and innovators of the future.
mfury 1 year, 3 months ago
I wonder how a standardized test demonstrates any usable skill? The ability to debate, analyze, rationalize, and logically argue one's point of view is a very usable skill.
The only thing standardized testing accurately measures is the ability to memorize information for a short term. How many adults, who likely took some form of standardized test whether CAT, Iowas, or some state standardized test, could go back now and pass the same test? Jeff Foxworthy made a fortune on a comedy show demonstrating the average adult's inability to pass elementary level standardized test questions.
We need assessment, we need accountability, but the system is defective. Let our children demonstrate real world skills through portfolios and projects.
luvmykids 1 year, 3 months ago
Everyone always talks about schools failing because of the tests, but no one really asks if the tests are a failure themselves! Maybe so many of our schools have kids who can't read or write because the tests dumb down the classrooms. Good points, Mrs. Kemple! We miss you!
m2010m 1 year, 3 months ago
I just exited the field of public education after 4 years in the classroom (with 7 years total in the system) -- and you have just pointed out a very real problem. There is rampant incompetence at the state and federal levels, leading to these non-viable performance assessments that are being applied before all else, including real education. What we need are MORE charter schools, and less politics.
SLA007 1 year, 3 months ago
There's been this impression that STARS was a bad school academically. Like all schools, you have your weaker classrooms and your stronger classrooms. But overall, that place was amazing! The kids are amazing, and they will be more prepared for life than so many other kids in the public schools because of that creative environment and loving community. They were just as strong academically as they were artistically, and in a way that won't prove itself for years, when the kids step up as impressive leaders. It used to be like a family there, and I'm sad to think it might become just a regular public school, but Ms. Kemple is probably right. I wonder what she and Mr. Murphy are working on!
Truth 1 year, 3 months ago
I have already had to give up 4 days of teaching to proctor practice EOGs. I am surprised that parents give their consent to this practice by not boycotting the EOGs. Ultimately my responsibility is to the students and my years of experience prove they are not best served by EOGs. It's time that parents, teachers, the Department of Public Instruction, and students reconsider going along with participation of EOGs.
Ross 1 year, 3 months ago
I wonder how else a child's knowledge is to be measured. EOG's were created with input from "everyone".
I have seen far too many times a child receiving excellent grades and yet they cannot perform math at that grade level at all. The EOG's simply are one metric that shows this.
I also teach - so I do have empathy - but face facts - todays kids are not well educated - in my opinion.
luvmykids 1 year, 3 months ago
No, they aren't well educated. I think that's one of the points of the article. And EOGs do nothing to help educate them - in fact, they make education more difficult for public school teachers.
karengeorgenc 1 year, 3 months ago
This is what I know from personal experience: 1. STARS was an amazing place full of talented children and teachers. Administration was amazing. It was always about each individual child’s future. 2. Some of the students do not understand why they must endure EOG testing and what has happened at STARS. Still, their innocence and love of the arts shines through. Some will pass the EOGs some will not. Some will learn faster than others. Some will dance, some will sing, some will draw. There will be students who will know how to set the stage and take photos. 3. I believe the STARS teachers will do as they always have done. Teach with dedication and love of the arts. The new school that is being created for our children is not one that is a new idea, but one that is bring brought forward from a long long time ago by some very skilled educators. The very best things in life so often seem to end up where they once began. This “new” school that comes to us in the very near future really began in the very old past. What is starting from the ideas of a few and will continue to grow with the eyes of several. The way of educating our students will make a complete circle. Our children are returned to the center as they should always be.
steveg 1 year, 3 months ago
So many good responses to Ms. Kemple's very well thought out, insightful and valuable comments and points. Clearly the writers are exchanging ideas and perspectives without intent to criticize or condemn but rather to share their insight and experience. It's not contempt prior to investigation, it's interest and exploration and a seeming desire to understand. How refreshing. It's how real learning works--it's how I wished my didactic education was modeled. Mine was rote and test oriented. I applaud Ms. Kemple for her foresightedness and hind-sightedness. What she describes worked well for Socrates and Aristotle. There is no record of EOGs or anything like it from those times. Perhaps there's a really good reason why. It's time to go back to the real basics; the development of each child as a student of who they really are, not what others think they should be.
MyArtisticChildRocks2 1 year, 3 months ago
Sue, you said it! So many things have changed since your resignation.(I now know why you had to, because you couldn't be a part of watching that board strip the arts to a bare minimum.) All of the help and support you asked for and were denied, assistant principal, testing coordinator, arts teachers, well they have allowed the new principal to hire them and more. I thought they told you there was no money? Worse of all is the fact that these people show up and they aren't introduced to anyone! They have been working for weeks and the kids weren't introduced, teachers weren't introduced and I as a parent along with others, weren't introduced. I can see the writing on the wall and people need to open their eyes and realize that this school is going downhill and fast. I for one have made preparation for my children to be elsewhere for the next school year. Others who are turning a blind eye, in hopes that this school will be what it was in the past, will be left behind and struggling to find something for their kids mid-year and regretting their choice to stay. We are definitely out of there!
visigrad 1 year, 3 months ago
Having worked for many years with teens outside the academic arena, I am deeply concerned. I encounter truly intelligent young minds that are stiffled by a factory like system. They can parrot information but have no idea how to think critically. How is it we allow them to make so many choices about unimportant matters, yet afford them little if any choice about what they would like to learn. Where is the motivation in being lined up and force fed subject matter forgotten once the testing is over ? Fortunately I was able to homeschool.This is not an option for many families due to various factors. I truly hope this new endeavor that is alluded to will afford families a real viable option in the very near future.
CC85 1 year, 3 months ago
I agree with your perspective here Susan, but I've alway's wondered how student's at STARS have faired academically once they leave and are put back into the traditional academic setting that we find in our local High Schools (Pinecrest or Union Pines). My guess is this would be a big adjustment for the student, especially after being educated during those primary years at a school with a philosophy such as STARS.
AllNatural 1 year, 3 months ago
CC85: I can answer your question. My daughter was a student at Stars for Elementary Studies and then The Academy for her Middle School Studies. She then went on to Pinecrest, where she has continued to flourish. I can say without a doubt, the move from Pinehurst Elementary to "Stars" was the best move ever! They focus more on the individual child, where Pinehurst Elementary had 33 students in a class. And no, she did not have behavioral problems, but definitly needed that "one on one" time with her teacher. Thanks Stars..I thank you and I know my daughter thanks you.
educator 1 year, 3 months ago
For 10 years STARS has been the only real choice for an arts-based, authentic education in Moore County. As an educator and a parent, I have been in awe of the growth and direction of this school under the leadership of Sue Kemple. Students were taught through an appreciation and understanding of their multiple-intelligences and they were celebrated for their unique gifts and talents. The middle school teachers teach as a team and integrate the arts and their respective content areas. They understand Ms.Kemple's vision and I know must be applauding her article. Whatever Sue Kemple and Paul Murphy are working on will truly benefit the children and future of Moore County. They are visionaries, outstanding leaders and incredibly talented individuals. The fact that they are working together on an arts-based initiative only bodes well for all of us. They know education, authentic assessment and how students learn best. They are an incredible team. I can't wait for them to unveil their project because the parents of Moore County will once again have a choice in how their children will be educated. And you can bet that there will be no EOG tests but project-based learning, portfolios and authentic assessments that will show people exactly what they know and can do.
shine 1 year, 3 months ago
Hats off to Sue Kemple, and all the Faculty and Staff of STARS!!!! I too am a Parent with 2 children presently attending this School. I am in TOTAL agreement with the Readers who have expressed that the EOG's need to be restructured. Absolutely!!! this Method of Testing has been around since the beginning, and Definitely! it is the Politicians "Soap Box" for Re-Election. I have seen first hand my children dreading this time of year, when they have to stop their "normal" daily classroom routine, and prepare for the dreaded EOG. The EOG is in my opinion the "Super Highway" to a child's defeat. What a child has been able to accomplish on their own, and the self-worth that has been able to be instilled in them during the course of the school year, can be dashed as soon as they learn that they didn't "Pass" a certain Subject. Self-Esteem goes out the window. Many children have 'Testing Issues". This alone will cause them to fail even before they sit down to take the Test. So with that.......
Forge on Sue and Paul!!!!! You are not alone. Someone Greater goes before you!
2teachisjoy 1 year, 3 months ago
I thank Sue Kemple for her wise and well written remarks. Assessment has long been a point of both contention and discussion. In the hands of a master educator, one who understands the art of teaching, assessment is a tool of diagnosis, a tool designed to take each student and move him or her forward on their educational journey. It is an essential tool. The ongoing debate is on how to best use this tool. Though I long to address that debate, it would take more than a comment left online. What I prefer to address is the constant negative spin comments seem to take towards public education. I am a teacher for Moore County schools and have been closely following the recent ongoing commentary. I am grateful for the many who have taken the time to applaud the noble educators that are part of our system. In any system, business, school, or even medical there is always room for improvement. Anyone who thinks otherwise will quickly find themselves left behind. I appreciate the innovation of all academic institutions. At the same time, I would like to invite our public to visit the classrooms of Moore County schools and witness the manner in which we are leading the way in innovative progress. I have had just such an opportunity this year and can confidently claim that our classrooms are full of educators who focus on students as individuals. We differentiate. We remediate. We accelerate. We provide multiple avenues of learning and encourage students to demonstrate knowledge in a variety of ways. We embrace technology in our classrooms and recognize its value in engaging our students in the learinng process. While we are required to comply with state mandated testing, our classrooms are full of educators who use passion and creativity to ignite a fire for learning within our students. I am not saying that the charter schools in our system do not do these things. Rather, I am inviting our public to see first hand the innovation that is taking place in our public schools. Please applaud that which is going well, encourage us in our innovative progress, and spend less time criticizing. President Roosevelt stated "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither voctory nor defeat."
Ross 1 year, 3 months ago
I teach but at the college level and to be quiet frank, I could never do what public school teachers do - try and teach 30-some students math/science etc skills. Especially with "some" parents seeing their kids through special "parent" glasses.
Teaching this mix of students is very near impossible and I sincerely commend these teachers for the job they do very well.
I also commend the attitude of exposing students to a more creative and expressive way of learning. But I have to add that I feel some of the basics can be overlooked at times. I see freshman students that can't perform basic math even though they have had all the requisite math courses in high school.
There has to be some metric to gauge competency and the EOG's seems to represent a fair method of doing this. If not - then derive another metric that is more accurate. I truly feel that if a subject is taught properly - regardless of the method, students should be able to answer "straightforward" questions regarding the material on an exam.
Ross 1 year, 3 months ago
btw - I "can" spell (quite) - just can't type :)
RGR 1 year, 3 months ago
This article prompted me to consider the profound benefits of an education that was definitely NOT EOG-oriented! Having taught second grade, fifth grade, and then worked with students in a private, non-traditional school for students whose next step in life was probably juvenile detention, I can say without qualification that I have never yet met a "standardized" child. So why should the success or failure of a child be based on a test that was created with input from everyone except the few people who best know the strengths as well as weaknesses of an individual? To me, such a so-called standard of accomplishment is subject to imposition of values which may be utilitarian at best or political mind-control at worst. Hurrah, Mrs. Kemple!
HSMOM 1 year, 3 months ago
Wonderful article! The obsession our government has with standardized testing is absurd! Even as a homeschool family, we have to administer standardized testing annually in NC. EOG testing puts unnecessary pressures on teachers and students. The poor teachers have to put everything on hold to teach the test and students feel as if everything is riding on one test grade. My daughter attends Pinecrest High School and her last 6-week semester grade is her EOG score. To her it says that it does not matter how hard she works the last part of the semester because the test grade is all that matters.
LaurieB01 1 year, 3 months ago
Thank you, Sue. I wish my grandkids were going to still be in the state to experience what you and Paul Murphy are putting together. I know it's going to be incredible.
Children are capable of so much more than our educational system teaches them. Learning by rote isn't really learning, at least not in the way that learning by doing is learning. It's like learning to use a calculator to work complex mathematical problems isn't really learning to do the math. My uncle graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in the '50s. He was a draftman and engineer working for a large architectural firm. For a number of years before he retired, everything was done on computers. The young engineers with their MS degrees and carrying their laptops onto work sites would be amazed when he would pull out his slide rule and come up with an answer to a problem before they could even boot up their computers. He KNEW what he was doing because he had been taught through hands-on experience. He could work out problems on his own with just a "primitive" piece of equipment.
Our children at STARS learn in the same way. They have projects where they have to make decisions, perform research, think critically, and put everything together for presentation to a group. The group might be their classmates, or, in the case of a play, the entire school and all of the parents. The key is, they do it themselves with adults there to guide, but not take over. This is real education. They come away with a genuine sense of accomplishment and pride. Not to mention the incredible experience of standing before a group and making a presentation, whether large or small. This type of education cannot be measured by a standardized test.
I have not yet met the new principal, vice principal or other new staff. I'm sure they have the best interests of our students at heart (unlike the board of directors, sorry, I just had to say it). But the loss of Sue Kemple, Paul Murphy, and a number of wonderful teachers will be difficult to overcome.
susie 1 year, 3 months ago
Great article! It's encouraging to see someone put this information out in such a clear manner. When I first came across the information about the purpose of public education years ago, it gave me even more purpose to work on alternative school choices for parents, and to embrace a Classical Curriculum. "Learning For The Sake Of Learning" was the motto of my high school years ago (my higher education is an art degree.) "Critical thinking" as the ultimate goal for our students was explained to us by teachers when my children were in school. These were Catholic schools. When I first heard about the Charter model 10+ years ago I thought that it was a brilliant way to give parents the choice they deserve under our tax dollars. I am encouraged to see the Charter school debate continuing, and see it is a good beginning to improve our education system in this country. Let's not forget that we are a young country, and are really still in the process of developing under our founding principals. Clearly, Susan Kemple is a much needed leader in this work and I encourage her to continue, and engage the parents as much as possible....knowledge is power and we can always improve...we are America! BTW, why are we using an EOG state test instead of a national standard?