CAHSEE Redux

Well, I spoke with several of my students who took the test. Some felt confident, other's bemoaned the difficulty. The Kurdish student I mentioned in an earlier post said it was hard. I asked him about the essay section, and he said he did not even try to write the essay. Guess what folks, this young man is not incapable of passing this test if indeed it were offered in his native language. In just a year this young man has accomplished huge strides in learning the English language. Where the essay is concerned I'm not even sure the prompt would be culturally relevant to him. I asked the department chairperson how the test would translate with regard to student assessment. The reply was that it is unclear. What if a student passes all of their required courses and not the exit exam? What if a student failed all required courses and passes the exam? Is the test relevant to college acceptance when community colleges do not require a high school diploma to gain entrance? These were questions the chairperson proposed with no idea what any of this testing means. So why test? Generally students take on the role they choose in life, college, jobs etc. Without regard to how well they did in high school. I think the test is negative and discouraging and plants the idea in the minds of young people that they are "less than". In truth they are full of potential, that may not translate to what some group of business people and educators define as acceptable. AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@##$%$%^^&.
The Mean One is about to explode. Enough frustration for one day.