Rather than a sweeping, yearly standardized test, Tucker argues students should be tested on a large scale just three times in their academic careers: at the end of fourth grade, a the end of middle school and at the end of the sophomore year of high school. Additionally, Tucker says schools should use cheaper, multiple-choice assessments to test a sample of students (with an over-sampling of vulnerable students) in second and sixth grade. Those “off-year” tests would cover English and math, as well as science in sixth grade, while the three large-scale tests would cover the entire curriculum, such as science, American and world history, economics, music, the arts, engineering and physical fitness.
Notably, though, Tucker proposes that these tests be used to hold students and schools accountable – not teachers. The data would be used to identify schools that might be in trouble, and to send help to investigate and make improvement suggestions.
Tucker has also argued that the entire idea of evaluating teachers is illogical.
“Teacher evaluation is not going to get us a supply of great teachers. And an oversupply of great teachers is the only thing that is going to fill our schools with great teachers,” Tucker concludes in an Education Week blog post. “The logic of test-based teacher evaluation is deeply faulty, a strategic dead end.”
Article Appeared @http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/08/21/education-secretary-arne-duncan-loosens-reins-on-teacher-evaluations-testing?int=9a5208