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An Exposé of the TAKS Tests

by Donna Garner

The TAKS tests send chills up people's spines. At the present time, the Texas Legislature's Commission on Accountability is carefully reviewing all aspects of the TAKS tests (Texas' mandated tests given in all public schools, Grades 3 - 11 -- Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills). Perhaps this is a prime time to make sure that the Commission hears all of the facts.

Does this group of appointed Commission members know that the scoring of the English / Language Arts (ELATAKS) section is suspect? Do these members realize that the essay prompts go up and down in difficulty from one test to the next? Do the Commission members understand that the ELA TAKS grading system produces unreliable and at times inflated scores? Does the Commission realize that a conflict of interest exists within both the *Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the company that produces the TAKS tests (Pearson Educational Measurement)? Most importantly, do the members of this Commission understand that the ELA TAKS tests actually hurt a student's chances of getting a quality education?

These are strong allegations, but I believe I have supported each one of them with the factual information that follows.

You can read the rest of this expose at the url below.

— Donna Garner
Ed;ucationNews.org
2008-04-10
http://ednews.org/articles/24590/1/quotAn-Expose-of-the-TAKS-Testsquot/Page1.html

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