| Title of the first journal article : Common Core Standards and their Impact on Standardized Test Design: A New York Case Study |
| Title of the second journal article : the College and Career Readiness and the Every Student Succeed Act |
| What do these articles have in common? Through the analysis of the two journals; Common Core Standards and their Impact on Standardized Test Design: A New York Case Study and the College and Career Readiness and the Every Student Succeed Act, there are some revelations about the nature of the standardized tests and their impact on the overall test scores and student preparedness to work. These two articles have put forward strong arguments that champion the need for tests to ensure that the transition from school to the job industry is fluid to ensure graduates do not struggle too much to fit in their specialization fields. The first article emphasizes the need for a high-stakes literacy program to prepare students for the CCRS tests (Polleck & Jeffery, 2017). The author reiterates that testing is the surest way to ensure that mastery of content and skill was imparted by the teachers and is the absolute proof that the students can perform in the industry. In the second article, the author is enthusiastic about the importance of preparing students, not just for the literacy assessment tests but eventually for the job market that they will soon be part of (Malin et al., 2017). |
| How are the results of these two articles different? The two articles indicate some contrasting opinions regarding the tests and evaluations' importance and content. The first article asserts that testing standards need to be revised or develop more realistic testing tools. The authors suggest that the high-stakes testing tool may be instrumental in displaying individual brilliance, but it is counterproductive for the lowest-performing students (Polleck & Jeffery, 2017). This article decries the lack of alignment between writing standards and the competency in understanding and inference in writing. As a result, the author cites discrepancies in the standardized tests and the value of what is tested to enable them to apply it in the field. However, the second article points at the apparent merit of testing students to prepare them for employment opportunities. The article emphasizes the testing outcome rather than the test itself (Malin et al., 2017). The fact that testing is mandatory in all the states of America makes this testing just a formality, and the fundamental importance of testing is lost in the process. The articles mention that the American economy is constantly pursuing the most skilled, necessitating the need to pass the tests. Therefore, as much as there is a need to ensure that students pass the literacy and other proficiency tests, it is essential to remember that these tests are only as practical as their relevance to the job industry structure and career patterns. |
|
How does this information relate to your proposed study? Be specific. Most states in America mandate college and career readiness scores. There is evidence that test scores indicate the students' ability to perform in the job market after exiting the education system. Whether high school or post-secondary education, standardized tests have been effectively used to prepare students for success in the field. However, the CCRS literacy assessment's low scores indicate a problem in the tests themselves or the evaluation mode. As a result, it is impossible to gauge students' preparedness to join the work industry. This study plays a pivotal role in a fact-finding evaluation to reverse the low literacy test scores at Brewster Middle School, NC. Results from the two articles indicate that testing is of paramount importance. Therefore it is imperative to develop alternative methods to change the narrative of low test scores. First, the school has to reevaluate the purpose of testing by setting clear guidelines on who gets tested, at what level, and why. This will help remove the confusion that comes with bundling everyone in one cluster for testing. Second, the school needs to realign the testing standards to focus on the student's ability to do well in the field rather than the test's value to the school (Polleck & Jeffery, 2017). It is essential to realize that it is not challenging and complex tests that will help the students adapt but the necessity and relevance of those tests. Furthermore, skill development is more important than good grades (Malin et al., 2017). Good grades will market the student to the employment bureaus, but skills will get them hired. Emphasis on imparting relevant skills will enable middle school students to muster the aptitude and reasoning tests that are important in solving tricky literacy tests. Brewster Middle School has the challenge to tailor its programs to align with workforce requirements. The college and career readiness and other tests aim at ensuring that graduates who are released into the job market are productive (Polleck & Jeffery, 2017). To this end, Brewster middle school needs to consider its lowest-performing students and devise programs that will boost this group's performance. Schools in the United States have to submit test scores to get federal grants (Polleck & Jeffery, 2017). That said, any school needs to post high test scores. For Brewster, this tasks' success depends on the school's ability to pull its low performers up so that the high performers can balance the overall scores. Additionally, advanced coursework and remedial education could be viable choices for the school STEM programming, including science, technology, English, and mathematics, requiring more effort to muster those (Malin et al., 2017). Also, the school might consider having cross-sector participation as a tool of learning for their students. Students exposed to real experts know firsthand and have a grasp of how the job market works. Such interactions also encourage the students to pass the tests if they want a taste of the job market |
| Paste the reference and link to the first article here. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013161X17714845 |
| Paste the reference and link to the second article here. https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/54811 |
References
Malin, J. R., Bragg, D. D., & Hackmann, D. G. (2017). College and career readiness and the Every Student Succeed Act. Educational Administration Quarterly , 53 (5), 809-838.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Polleck, J. N., & Jeffery, J. V. (2017). Common Core standards and their impact on standardized test design: A New York case study. High School Journal , 101 (1), 1-26.
