A typical standardized test sheet. Credit: timlewisnm/Flickr Creative Commons
This morning, the California Department of Education released the Academic Performance Index (API) scores of its schools. The API is comprised of several different measures, including the results of standardized tests in literacy, math and science. For the first time ever, a majority of California schools reached the desired 800-point API mark set by the Department of Education.
That hasn’t come easy to a lot of schools. Private consultants have been hired, students have been given test after test to prepare, and the instructors go through very specific training sessions to get themselves up to speed. But even though over half the schools in the state are exceeding above expectations, many are still critical of the entire API system, especially its reliance on standardized tests.
How is your school doing? What do you think of standardized tests? Are they the right way to measure student progress?
Guests:
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, KPCC education reporter
Vanessa Romo, KPCC education reporter