Salameh 1

Lena Salameh
Debate I
Ms. Sobotka
30 October 2014
WESTTEST vs. Ne !ommon !ore State Stan"ar"s
I. Intro"#ct$on
%. &I 're"$ct these !ommon !ore Stan"ar"s $ll res#lt $n one o( to o#tcomes)
E$ther the* $ll lea" to a revol#t$on $n teach$n+ an" learn$n+. Or the* $ll en" #'
$n the over(lo$n+ "#stb$n o( aban"one" re(orms, $th 'eo'le thro$n+ #' the$r
han"s an" "ecr*$n+ that '#bl$c schools -#st "on.t ork./0 1an"$ We$n+arten, (rom
the %mer$can 2e"erat$on o( Teachers.
3. Ne+at$ve S$"e) West 4$r+$n$a5s '#bl$c schools, (rom 6$n"er+arten to 12
th
+ra"e are
re7#$re" to take the Ne !ommon !ore State Stan"ar"s, rather than the
WESTEST.
!. De($n$t$on
$. Ne !ommon !ore State Stan"ar"s) 8a set o( h$+h07#al$t* aca"em$c
stan"ar"s $n mathemat$cs an" En+l$sh lan+#a+e arts9l$terac* :EL%;. These
learn$n+ +oals o#tl$ne hat a st#"ent sho#l" kno an" be able to "o at the
en" o( each +ra"e/ :7t". $n 8O%%/;.
$$. WESTEST) 8a c#stom0"es$+ne" assessment (or West 4$r+$n$a st#"ents.
The $n"$v$"#al content assessments meas#re a st#"ent5s levels o(
'er(ormance on clearl* "e($ne" stan"ar"s an" ob-ect$ves an" sk$lls/ :7t" $n
8O%%/;.
II. Thes$s
Salameh 2
%. The !ommon !ore $s an e<am that $s theoret$cal to +et st#"ents rea"* (or colle+e
an" real0orl" matters, b#t the e<am seems to com'l$cate the e"#cat$on s*stem b*
creat$n+ an aca"em$c r$+or thro#+ho#t '#bl$c schools.
III. 3o"*
%. !ase 1) %n %rkansas mom e<'la$ns to the %rkansas State School 3oar" ho a
math 'roblem $s solve" $n c#rr$c#l#m o( the !ommon !ore at the (o#rth +ra"e
level.
$. Math =roblem) 8The 'roblem $s) Mr. >amato5s class has 1? st#"ents. I( a
class co#nts aro#n" b* a n#mber, an" $t en"s $th @0, hat n#mber "$"
the* co#nt b*A I5ll restate the 'roblem. I( a class co#nts aro#n" b* a
n#mber, an" $t en"s $th @0, hat n#mber "$" the* co#nt b*/ :7t". $n 8%
2o#rth Bra"e !!SS %l$+ne" Math =roblem $n 10? Ste's .../;A
1. The anser $s ($ve.
2. % boar" member ansere" the 7#est$on b* "$v$"$n+ 1? $nto @0 an"
came #' $th the anser 8C./
3. !ommon !ore e<am$ners e<'ect (o#rth +ra"ers to "ra 1? c$rcles
$th @0 hash marks $n e<actl* 10? ste's to rece$ve the anser 8C/.
3. The E<ams) S$m$lar$t$es an" D$((erences
$. !ommon !ore :7t". $n 8=arents 2or =#bl$c Schools/;)
1. 4D states an" D$str$ct o( !ol#mb$a have a"o'te" the e<am, 4
states that have not, an" M$nnesota a"o'te" EL% b#t not Math
stan"ar"s.
2. !reate" b* the Smarter 3alance" %ssessment !onsort$#m.
3. 2oc#ses 'art$c#larl* $n math an" En+l$sh, colle+e reme"$at$on rates
have been h$+h.
4. Test cons$sts o() selecte" res'onse, constr#cte" res'onse,
technolo+* enhance" $tems an" 'er(ormance task.
$$. WESTEST
1. !ons$sts o( 1ea"$n+9Lan+#a+e %rts, Mathemat$cs, Sc$ence an"
Soc$al St#"$es
2. !reate" b* W4 e"#cators
Salameh 3
3. Test cons$sts o( to 'arts) selecte" res'onse an" an onl$ne r$t$n+
res'onse
$$$. 3oth E<ams
1. Bra"es re'orte" on school an" st#"ent re'orts
2. Ent$me" e<ams
!. The St#"ents
$. !ommon !ore as create" to ($< the 8#neven roa"/ o( aca"em$c stan"ar"s
that var* (rom state to state
1. States ho have h$+h stan"ar"s $ll have to acce't loer
stan"ar"s.
2. !reators "o not a+ree on hat st#"ents sho#l" kno an" be able to
"o at each +ra"e level.
$$. The test onl* covers the s#b-ects) En+l$sh0lan+#a+e arts an" mathemat$cs,
mean$n+ no sc$ence or soc$al st#"$es. Schools $n West 4$r+$n$a $ll have to
create the$r on a* o( teach$n+, h$ch o#l" 8c#rve the roa"/ o(
aca"em$c stan"ar"s.
D. Other !om'l$cat$ons
$. !ommon !ore State Stan"ar"s re7#$res technolo+* an" te<tbooks that are
e<'ens$ve.
$$. Teachers are not ell0're'are", an" others m$+ht 7#$t.
E. WESTEST $ns
$. 1es#lts o( the e<am +$ve $ns$+ht abo#t a st#"ent5s aca"em$c stren+ths, as
ell as areas that nee" $m'rovement.
$$. The e<am $s base" on hat a st#"ent $s e"#cate" $n a school *ear, an" not
hat the* are s#''ose" to be ta#+ht.
1. :8Test$n+ $n West 4$r+$n$a) %n Overv$e/;
I4. !oncl#s$on
%. WESTEST $s a stan"ar"0base" e<am that meas#res s'ec$($c sk$lls "e($ne" (or
+ra"es 3011 b* the state o( West 4$r+$n$aF alternat$vel* the Ne !ommon !ore
State Stan"ar"s, hose stan"ar"s are to create a stra$+ht 'atha* to ($< the
aca"em$c stan"ar"s that var* (rom state to state, b#t creates an aca"em$c "$saster
$n the En$te" States, $ncl#"$n+ West 4$r+$n$a.
Salameh 4
4. %(($rmat$ve !ross
%. What abo#t S'ec$al E"#cate" st#"entsA W$ll the* have to also "o the !ommon
!ore or $s there another metho" the* $ll #seA
3. Go $ll !ommon !ore 're'are st#"ents (or colle+e an" +lobal ork s#ccess, $(
hat the* are learn$n+ $s con(#s$n+ (or them to #n"erstan"A
4I. Ne+at$ve !ross
%. What $ll ha''en $( states "o not re7#$re the res#lt re7#$rementA
3. E"#cat$onal matters $n the E.S. sho#l" be hel" #n"er the state +overnment, h*
"$" the (e"eral +overnment +et $nvolve"A Is $t (or the +rant or $s $t a re7#$rementA
4II. 2$rst Ne+at$ve 1eb#ttal
%. !ommon !ore sho#l" not be a''l$e" to West 4$r+$n$a, an" sho#l" st$ck to the
WESTEST.
3. WESTEST $s a better meas#rement o( hat $s ta#+ht $n a West 4$r+$n$an '#bl$c
school classroom, an" not !ommon !ore.
!. !ommon !ore com'l$cates matter $th $ts "$(($c#lt level o( com'rehens$on to the
st#"ents.
4III. Secon" Ne+at$ve 1eb#ttal
%. St#"ents sho#l" be teste" on mater$als the* ere ta#+ht, an" not mater$als that are
re7#$re" to match $th the rest o( the En$te" States. There are st#"ents ho "on5t
o'en a te<tbook, b#t seem to +et o#tstan"$n+ assessment test scores. On the other
han", there are st#"ents ho st#"* har", an" are on the avera+e level o( res#lts. In
a""$t$on to, there $ll be st#"ents ho "o not even care $( the* 'ass or (a$l a class.
The !ommon !ore cannot (orce someone to st#"*, so the res#lts o#l" not be
acc#rate, there(ore, the test $s $ne((ect$ve.
Works !$te"
% 2o#rth Bra"e !!SS %l$+ne" Math =roblem $n 10? Ste's ... :2013, December 1H;.
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htt')99v"e.state.v.#s9oaa9estestJ$n"e<.html
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htt')99v"e.state.v.#s9smarter0balance"9'arents9com'ar$son0to0estest2.'"(
=arents 2or =#bl$c Schools. :2014, Ian#ar* 1;. 1etr$eve" October 1D, 2014, (rom
htt')99.'arents4'#bl$cschools.or+9Doc#ments9!ommonJcoreJchartJ($nal.'"(
Test$n+ $n West 4$r+$n$a) %n Overv$e. :2014, 2ebr#ar* 20;. 1etr$eve" October 1D, 2014,
(rom htt')99.+reatschools.or+9st#"ents9local0(acts0reso#rces94DH0test$n+0$n0W4.+sA
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