About a month ago I emailed the contact person for the California Department of Education Testing website asking some questions about the NGSS. I wanted to know when the new Standards would be implemented and how were they planning to test our students based on these Standards. It took a full month to get a reply. I had forgotten I had emailed her.
Her answers were odd. She told me the CST's, our current testing scheme, would be "sunsetting" at the end of the next school year.The Standards are not even officially out yet (in fact, the drafts were removed from their website) and they already have a firm date on when they will no longer use the old test? That means that once the state gets the Standards (they are a lead state in their creation, so they will adopt them), they only have a year to develop tests for Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics. Does that sound like something the STATE could do quickly? And how about Integrated Science? How about the 10 grade Life Science test? What are your plans for those? I'd like to plan for the future, but I can't.
There was also no answer about the testing format. Many people assume they will change the format of the test to include a writing portion.There are 6 million plus students in public schools in CA. How can you effectively grade the writing of 6 million students in a matter of a few months (test scores come out in the summer)?
The NGSS are supposedly geared towards the student being able to demonstrate proficiency in science. Why do they need to have a writing portion? The likelihood is that the new standardized tests for CA will look just like the old ones. But CA is not saying anything now.
Come on, CDE! We need information! If I am going to "completely change the way I teach science," you need to give me a heads-up. I can't completely change my way of teaching the summer before school starts. I'd like at least a year to plan.
