For decades corporate abuse of children in our classrooms has gone unchecked. Sound overly dramatic? Think again.
The global education corporations running the show know exactly what they are doing.
They read information like this, Stressed out: the psychological effects of tests on primary school children, and continue about their business.
“The overall prevalence of test anxiety in primary school children is on the increase and it is fairly common for children at the end of primary school.”
Yes! Magazine Test-based accountability systems include competency-based, “personalized” learning, and social/emotional learning (SEL) to name a few.
The article tells parents and teachers what they can do to reduce test anxiety. But is accepting this advice the right thing to do?
Is the emphasis on testing justified?
Think about the results. Both quality time with parents and instructional time with teachers is lost to corporate rule in our classrooms.
Tests are taking precedence over commonsense.
Is this abuse of children, or not? Still believe all the testing is necessary? Well, consider this. If the quality of instruction is what is important, have the tests improved instruction?
“Is High-Stakes Testing Working?”
As Jonathan Supovitz reminds us, the cornerstone of U.S. federal education policy (NCLB 2.0/ESSA) is test-based accountability systems….based on theories.
The truth?
“The data from high stakes tests are…. insufficient for individual-level accountability and provide meager information for instructional guidance.”
Misuse is abuse.
So have you heard, “the tests are not good enough”? Do you believe “better tests”— the next generation computer-adaptive, personalized, more frequent (embedded) tests — are the answer? That has not been determined. Yet the testing has been bought. And, there are plenty of valid reasons to just say, “stop.”
“Research has long indicated that test anxiety impairs student performance. More recent research indicates that taking a test in a CAT [computer-adaptive test] format can affect the ability estimates of students with test anxiety. Inaccurate measures of ability are disconcerting because of the threat they pose to the validity of test score interpretation.“
Society has placed a high value on test scores; yet, their interpretation may not be valid.
What these “new, better” test do—with certainty— is profit corporations.
“…test sales have grown from approximately $260 million annually in 1997 to approximately $700 million today — nearly a threefold increase.” [or higher, now]
Profits up; student achievement flat. Test-based accountability isn’t being done “for the students,” as they say.
Has the public simply missed seeing the signs of corporate abuse in education reform?
CITIZENS: look closer, please. The abusive nature of testing is going way beyond whether or not a child can read and do math. In this data-driven world, every child’s future is at risk of being determined by an algorithm.
The venture capitalists of 21st Century Schools pushed technology into classrooms to collect every bit of data they can — on the whole child.
The worlds’ “leading learning company,” Pearson (U.S. division McGraw-Hill), continues to lead us. Our lawmakers continue to follow. It’s coercion. It’s corruption. It’s corporate abuse of our political system…..and of our children! And there is more to come.
Pearson Acquires ADHD Testing Company BioBehavioral Diagnostics
On August 27, 2013, global education company Pearson plc announced it had acquired BioBehavioral Diagnostics (BioBDx) and its flagship Quotient System, a computerized attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and management system approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 to aid in diagnosing ADHD. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
For Pearson, the acquisition provides an entry into health care markets, . . .
Do you think the data collected on school children now could be used against them when it comes to …say… insurance costs in the future?
“We are taking immediate steps to strengthen support for current Quotient customers and expand our outreach to healthcare professionals,” … “We also look forward to introducing the Quotient ADHD Test to mental health and education professionals in both clinical and school settings.”
“ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral condition in children, and symptoms persist into adulthood in approximately 60 percent of cases.”
Knowing that ADHD “may have serious consequences” including “job failure,” can you see where data collected today could affect a child’s job prospects in the future?
Byron Hewett, Chairman and CEO of BioBDx, said,… “Our team has deep expertise in the diagnostic world, and we believe Pearson will benefit from that expertise in the years to come.”
No doubt, Pearson will benefit. The question is, should they benefit off American taxpayers in the name of public education reform? And is there any stopping them?
Protecting America from corporate abuse is about to get a lot harder
“From Enron to the financial crisis to climate change, the last two decades have seen abuses and failures of private industry on a world-historical scale.”
When Big Corp buys Congress, laws will perpetuate — not help solve — our problems. Everyone knows that, right?
But does the public understand the gravity in losing our public education system to the global corporate elite?
“Future Ready Schools” is supported by OUR U.S. Department of Education in the effort to have superintendents “commit to foster and lead a culture of digital learning.” Is this the public-private partnership we want to invest in?
Is this news that Americans have not heard? Is that why America is letting its public schools be taken over by groups like “Future Ready”……
….who are working to replace teachers with technology while calling it “a transition to personalized, digital learning”?
Folks, if you say “no” to these corporate abuses, forcing Congress to represent us is the only peaceful “check” on corporate power we have left….It won’t be easy. Congress needs to undo what they have done.
“Congress Passes Psychological Manipulation in an Education Bill”
Sound far-fetched? Not any more, it doesn’t. The education industry is showing their cards for all to see. And for the author of this article, Anita Hoge, this is deja vu….in nightmare form, I’m sure.
As a parent, she fought against outcome based education in the ‘90’s. She filed a complaint using the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment to stop the psychological and psychiatric testing and treatment in our classrooms . Well, IT’S BACK! And she is back in the fight. Here’s why:
“Speaker Paul Ryan pushed the passage of Every Student Achieves Act legislation through Congress along with Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman of the HELP Committee.” …
Anita’s call to action…
“Parents — the social, emotional, and behavioral aspects of your children are being monitored, evaluated, and CODED.”
Where does the information go? What will it be used for, and by whom?
We don’t have the answers, do we? But we all know that data CAN’T be fully protected. That puts children at risk…for life. Seriously.
So Anita, parents, and citizens across the United States are requesting….
“…an immediate injunction to stop the implementation of social, emotional, and behavioral standards and interventions that have been codified in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).”
“…Secretary DeVos to immediately take steps to prohibit teachers from carrying out the intrusive psychological and behavioral techniques named in the legislation to be used in on America’s children in American classrooms.”
“… President Trump call for an immediate injunction to stop the implementation of ESSA by Secretary DeVos and to request a repeal of ESSA.”
After 15 years of No Child Left Untested, I don’t know why America hasn’t stopped the corporate abuse of children in our classrooms.
“…corporate abuse of our political system has led to abusive testing practices in our classrooms.”
THAT is the God’s honest truth!
Can I share your article on our blog?
Yes, Dick, and thank you for doing so. The only reason I write is to try and inform. Please share anything you think would be useful and let me know if you need my sources for anything not already linked. Best 🙂