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After examining all the perspectives, looking back on my own experiences, and being involved in both Garza High School and Austin Voices I came to a final conclusion. For whatever reason, be it inherent racism and classism of testing, a difference in resource distribution, teachers giving priority to white upper-class students, or cultural differences, identical tests produce different results for students of color and children living in poverty. The fact that parent's incomes or teacher's preferences can alter the result of something meant to measure what is learned throughout a year or even 12 years points to the fallacy of using tests to asses the knowledge youth have been taught and have absorbed. Plus the fact that even test-makers have publicly acknowledged that these tests do not measure how well students will do in the future and that coaching can alter the outcome of scores on tests that are part of a high-profit market in which upper-class businessmen make millions makes the idea of just replacing tests obsolete. For these reasons I suggest standardized topics and skills such as TEKS so that certain material is sure to be covered to replace TAAS, a portfolio containing the work for each class demonstrating what the student has learned to replace finals, evaluations of teachers by students and students by teachers to maintain accountability, and newer, multi-cultural models of teaching should be implemented to ensure that the legacy of racism is terminated and affirmative-action no longer necessary. These reforms can help but I recognize that revolutionary change to the structurally classist and oppressive system of government including public education, such as a massive redistribution of wealth, would be the most effective way to end the problems we are faced with today. For example, the discussion of poor children not succeeding on tests because they go to school hungry would not occur in a classless society where all people are safe and accounted for. |
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