Tag Archives: SBAC

NC Governor’s Video Has Your Spit-take Of The Week

Posted on December 12, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Governor McCrory is clearly getting on the campaign horse as evidenced by this touchy-feely video on education. Near the end of the video, McCrory makes the following statement:

“The biggest piece of feedback that I hear from teachers is, ‘they’re not letting us teach anymore. We’re just giving tests.’. We’re gonna.. we’re gonna end this duplication of testing. Which neither helps the students nor allows the teacher to teach.”

Yeah.. right.

The Opt Out or iRefuse movement is starting in North Carolina. To me, this seems like a move to get out in front of the protests and make it look like a parade instead.

Parents, check out the testing calendar for North Carolina.
I live in Wake County, so here is that calendar. Mind you, I’ve already written about the 95 some-odd assessments and tests given to third graders in our county. See the bottom half of this article for more on those 95 assessments.

So, if testing is allegedly going to be whittled down, then why is North Carolina still a member of the Common Core high stakes testing consortium known as the SBAC?

KEEP READING — THERE’S MORE Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, LL1885, Pat McCrory, The Articles, Video | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Unanswered Questions On NC’s Common Core SBAC Field Test

Posted on September 30, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

A few months ago, I requested information on the Common Core SBAC field tests that went on this past Spring in North Carolina. I asked twice but perhaps it was lost in the shuffle.

Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 9:20 AM
To: Vanessa Jeter
One last question on this topic if you don’t mind?
What funds were used to implement the test pilot of SBAC tests in NC this past spring? Where can I located a breakout by school of this information?

Thank you! Have a great weekend!

AP Dillon Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, NC DPI | Tagged , | Comments Off on Unanswered Questions On NC’s Common Core SBAC Field Test

MO Ed Commissioner, Governor Sued By Citizens Over Common Core SBAC Test Funds

Posted on September 18, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

This article is crossposted at StopCommonCoreNC.org

Fred N. Sauer of Missouri is suing Governor Jay Nixon and other state officials over the $4.3 million paid to Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) in relation to the Common Core State Standards tests.

The editors of Missouri Education Watchdog have joined the suit as plaintiffs. The main points of the suit are the challenging of the use of taxpayer money for the SBAC, that the SBAC is an unconstitutional interstate compact and that Governor Nixon and Commissioner Nicastro’s conduct violated federal and state statutes. Nicastro announced her retirement just this past week.

Via Missouri Education Watchdog:

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, LEGAL, LL1885, The Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on MO Ed Commissioner, Governor Sued By Citizens Over Common Core SBAC Test Funds

Required Reading For The NC Common Core Replacement Commission

Posted on August 29, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Over at the Pioneer Institute, Jim Stergios has a must read for the Common Core replacement commission. In fact, this is a must read for the legislators at the North Carolina General Assembly, who will be hearing from parents if the Commission is used for ‘show’ by those attempting to force a rebrand scenario.
The article addresses the false hand-wringing we saw over Race To The Top money, the unfunded mandate Common Core places onto the states and the unpredictability of future costs.

Some other main points the article draws, but pointing to Ohio and how they appear to be getting repeal done ‘right’: Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, EDUCATION, LL1885, NC State Standards, Testing, The Articles | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

NC Should Follow Iowa’s Lead And Withdraw From SBAC

Posted on August 14, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Iowa has declared it will be withdrawing from the Common Core assessment group, Smarter Balanced. North Carolina has repealed Common Core from the state statutes and should also withdraw.

So should NC, @DrJuneAtkinson @PatMcCroryNC => Iowa exits Common Core SBAC http://t.co/YhLpNEvuln #stopcommoncore #sbac #nced

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) August 13, 2014

There is no reason whatsoever for NC to continue in this consortium:

Then we should withdraw. RT @DrJuneAtkinson: @Nancyccta We aren’t using Smarter Balanced to test in NC. Read SBE minutes of 12/13.

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) July 26, 2014

The cost of SBAC tests is heavy. North Carolina was spending $10 per student but using SBAC and optional assessments would jack the cost to approximately $27.31 — nearly triple the cost :

“The SBAC predicts a per pupil cost of $19.81 for summative assessments, plus $7.50 for optional benchmark assessments.”
Source -NCICL.org

Related:

North Carolina Must Withdraw from SBAC Part 1
North Carolina Must Withdraw from SBAC Part 2 Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, June Atkinson | Tagged | Comments Off on NC Should Follow Iowa’s Lead And Withdraw From SBAC

Ask Dr. Atkinson: Why Has NC Not Withdrawn From The SBAC?

Posted on July 26, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

North Carolina has repealed Common Core from it’s state statutes.
A replacement commission is about to be named and get to work.

Here’s the next question that the Legislature will have to address:
Why is NC still a member of the Common Core tied Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)?

Ask State Superintendent and CCSSO President Elect, Dr. Atkinson, why.
Here’s the responses one citizen received (below). Ask the question. See what kind of answer you get. Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, June Atkinson | Tagged | Comments Off on Ask Dr. Atkinson: Why Has NC Not Withdrawn From The SBAC?

Common Core Aligned: WorkKeys

Posted on June 23, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Common Core is not ‘just a set of standards’. That statement is one of the bigger lies perpetrated by the supporters of the Core. The ultimate goal is to align everything from materials to books, apps to tests and yes, the means of entry into the workforce.
Common Core, arguably, is lends itself to reinforcing the ‘cradle to grave’ tracking and funneling of your child and their potential. As I was thinking about writing this article, I couldn’t help but make a comparison of what is happening with this kind of tracking and a book I’ve recently read, Divergent. Kids are placed in one of five given classes of society based on what a test tells them is their best match. If your text doesn’t given conclusive results, you’re considered Divergent.

[VIDEO CLIP]

Are our children currently being funneled into one career or another based on often poorly designed tests? We have multiple tests for kids across multiple grades, multiple entry tests for colleges as well. How long until it’s pared down to just a few tests? Tests aimed at becoming some kind of workforce sorting mechanism are not a thing of the future. They’re here now. Those of us standing up and pointing it out? Are we Divergent?

WorkKeys

The following article is going to get a bit involved. There is an article I am going to refer back to. It is essential one reads and comprehends this article before reading what I have to add to it. Please read Missouri Education Watchdog’s Public Education as Workforce Training. Is WorkKeys in Your State. Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, June Atkinson, LL1885, The Articles | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments