Effects of State’s School Testing

* Re “School Testing Has Unintended Effects,” Jan. 14: A little over three years ago, I started teaching a class of immigrant, non-English-speaking kindergarten students. Most of them, in their home language, did not know such basics as the days of the week, the concept of what a number or a letter is, or even the names of colors. Some didn’t even know their last names.

I had the wonderful opportunity to continue teaching this same group of children through first and second grades. During that time their math and reading scores on the Stanford 9 test were two to three times the average that students of their same background and ethnicity attained in my district and across the state. I don’t believe I “taught to the test.” I was lucky to have students who had the willingness to work hard.

Since then, there have been no words of congratulation from my school district, no inquiries as to my teaching methods and not even any accusations of cheating. There has definitely been no mention of merit pay. I didn’t want these kids to succeed so I could “win” extra money (considering this idea was only in the talking stages at the time). It does, nevertheless, make me question the criteria by which merit pay is disbursed.

ANDREW GOLDSTEIN

Newbury Park

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Every time I read an article on public education, I wonder: Is there any intelligent life out there? Of course testing has these kinds of detrimental effects. A 10-year-old could have predicted it.

Yes, schools need to be held accountable--and supported. A public school classroom, whether we agree with it or not, encompasses more than academic instructional content. There are chronic truancies, serious behavior issues, absent parents and classrooms that look like the leftovers of Stalin-era Russia. But there are also periods of real learning and sharing, in spite of the setbacks--life lessons, the most precious of which have nothing to do with 1 + 1 = 2.

CINDY M. MAGUIRE, Teacher

North Hollywood High School