Mike asked: "What do you suppose would happen if state exams, such as MCAS, were removed, or re-formatted?"
Well, in the interest of honesty, I cannot say for sure, but I will do my best to venture a guess.
Teachers would be happier, for they would have more free reign to teach what they want, to teach the actual subject, and not to the measly mandates of MCAS magnates.
It is not a stretch of the imagination to think that, unburdened of such stress, students would enjoy school slightly more, and with increased enjoyment, I think, would follow increased interest and increased learning. I agree, Mike, that such tests are parasitic to the education process.
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That having been said, however, my heart does go out to the politicians. After all, without this infallible method of assessing students, teachers, and school, how are they going to be able to compare us across counties and states? Education is something that is over funded anyway, so how else will they decide which schools to cut more money from. What about colleges? How else can they decide which students will be the best additions to their schools? How else other than reliable demonstrators of merit: standardized tests.
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Question: We talk often of testing alternatives, but what benefit do tests provide that we must replace?
I cannot claim to be able to give a satisfactory answer to your question, but I shall attempt to offer at least some rationale.
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