Six in 10 school psychologists said the Common Core learning standards, which includes state exams for students in third through eighth grades each April, has increased students’ anxiety.
The anxiety hasn’t, for the most part, led to physical ailments, the school psychologists said, but the new Common Core testing has translated into students feeling more stressed.
“This report should make all education stakeholders — from state policymakers to local teachers to parents — aware of the profound impact that they can have, both positive and negative, on student test anxiety,” Timothy Kremer, executive director of the School Boards Association, said in a statement.
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The report contended that the test anxiety is more common at the elementary-school level, saying students more often showed “internalized” symptoms such as excessive worry and withdrawal rather than demonstrating “externalized” symptoms, such as increased irritability, frustration and acting out.
One of the goals of the education reform movement is to create a compliant class of dutiful order-takers - nothing like having kids internalize symptoms of worry and withdrawal to do just that.
I would argue that at older ages, the children are beginning to act out.
I have been told by counselors that they're seeing increased cases of alcohol use, drug use, eating disorders and self-harm like cutting themselves.
That's anecdotal of course, but I've seen some of this in my work too.
Exacerbating all of this is how teachers are forced to make every class "rigorous" and "text-based," with children given very few opportunities to express their own thoughts or feelings through art, writing or speaking.
We truly have a system where "no one gives a shit what you think or feel - just can you do the market analysis by Monday."
Big changes coming beginning 2016. These legislatures are stupid, but not that stupid. Say goodbye to tying test scores to teacher evals. Cup no and the boys have no choice at this point. The pressure was in, stayed on, and now they must provide results to the people that elected them. The heat only increased.
ReplyDelete"cuono " and the boys (sorry)
DeleteYou could rewrite the entire article substituting student to teacher. I'm sure many of negative consequences of stress seen in students are greatly amplified in teachers. Last year my child's school kept saying over and over how these tests don't count, but that's all they did most of the year- prepare for them. Then we had robocalls and calls from the superintendent if we opted out. The teacher also begged my daughter to take the test, but those same teachers had a gag order in effect if they tried to tell any parent or child to opt out. Common core created a terrible year for everyone last year.
ReplyDeleteIn Rochester they are reporting 41 teacher assaults since opening day. Yeah there might be something here. In Buffalo they get downplayed and swept under the rug so I can't confirm our numbers but a friend has missed work from student assault and a female colleague in his school was kicked in the face during a fight.
ReplyDeleteWe must needs to regard about each and every part of it, also the ideas mentioned above are almost considered to be of some importance, so it will be of easy nature to have something more out of it.
ReplyDelete