Another Complaint About Standardized Tests

In recent weeks, I have talked to several educators who are not happy with the quality of standardized tests that are being used in schools all over the country. There is a brewing discontent among students, parents, teachers, and administrators on this subject. Last week, Louis CK took to Twitter to complain about the tests his daughters have had to take.

Today on America Weekend, I spoke with Rebecca Steinitz, a literacy consultant in urban high schools in Massachusetts, who recently wrote an open letter to President Obama about the exams (which her daughter Eva has to take in public school, but his daughter Sasha and Malia don't take in private school). She explained that it's not the fault of Common Core standards, but of the companies that are being paid millions to provide poorly-written tests that are not a good gauge of how students are doing -- with many questions which are not even appropriate for the grade in which they're being applied.

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