Different disabilities require different assessments. Working with special needs students I use an assessment tool called Brigance. This assessment comes in levels from toddler to adulthood. When using this assessment I look at daily living, independent hygiene, and life skills versus the reading, writing/language, math skills that are assessed in the general education population. As for standardized testing I do an alternate assessment on my students based on their ability levels and they are not compared to a national norm. Students in the general education populations are required to take the Terra Nova stndardized test that compares them to national norms. Children should be assessed to see what they are learning across all academic areas. If they are not able to pass these assessments then the teacher may need to reevaluate the way they are teaching to the children. Assessments are also good in the fact that child who are having difficulty can be identified and receive the necessary support to be successful in school. The negative side of standardize assessments is that there is so much weight placed on the test for students to pass. This can be harmful stress. I have seen children that become sick during the week of standardized testing, from worrying about whether they will pass or fail the test. Teachers are also teaching more to the test than teaching the curriculum.
The assessment used in South Korea is the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) (NCEE, 2011). Korean children are tested twice a year in two subject areas in grades six, nine and ten (NCEE, 2011). Student school records or student activity records are keep on file and used as part of a child’s admission into senior secondary and university level of education. South Korean students have to take an exam demonstration what they learn in junior high school as well as an admission exam to process in the senior high school (NCEE, 2011). Students who want to continue into college must take a College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which does have an impact on their higher education prospects (NCEE, 2011). Before this exam students will engage in some form of rigorous study. The culture refers to this time “examination hell” as there is an incredible amount of pressure about their performance on this exam.
Center on international education benchmarking. 2011. South Korea - instructional systems. Retrived from http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/south-korea-overview/south-korea-instructional-systems/
Other Links:
“Korean Youth Study Longest Hours in OECD,” The Chosunilbo, Aug. 10, 2009.Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. (2008). Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. (2006). Rules on the General Education Development Test for Qualifications to Enter High School.
Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation. (n.d.) The PISA Results and the Education System in Korea. (PDF)
I just recently heard of Brigance. Pennsylvania used to require that all early learning programs used the Work Sampling Online system to enter assessment data for the children that we serve. However, this year, we were given the option of Work Sampling Online, or Brigance. We opted to keep the Work sampling, just because all of the staff are familiar with the set of outcomes. I would be interested in finding out more on the Brigance assessment tool. Are there any suggestions regarding this program?
ReplyDeleteI am a teacher in NC and I have never heard of the Brigance assessment, until reading this blog. What type of work samples do you include in the online system?
DeleteSounds like Korean assessment methods are shaped similarly to ours. I wonder if there is an efficient way to asses the whole child, including biological and psychological features, that would tell a better story about who each child is and which educational guidance "fits" them best.
ReplyDeleteI think South Korea's examination hell would be extremely difficult to go through. If I had to go through that for college I would be a wreck it is hard enough to get into college as it is without having to through "hell". Some form of assessment is necessary.
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank you for providing more insight on the assessment process in Korea.
ReplyDelete