New York State is requiring districts to add “more than a dozen new standardized tests” in public schools in order to develop a more effective way to measure teacher performance as well as to improve the performance of its students. I do not have any objection to standardized tests as along as they provide an objective metric of students and teacher performance. But tests which rate teacher effectiveness have no validity because students are not held accountable if they pass or fail these tests is simply irresponsible in times of budget crises and teacher layoffs.
Where will the state get the tens of millions of dollars to develop and implement these new tests?
If principals cannot figure out whether teachers who work for them every day are effective, then we need different training for principals, not more tests for students. Why isn’t New York State using peer evaluations to rate teachers, in addition to the principal’s assessment as well as student performance? It’s being done in universities, law firms and the medical field.