Letters to the editor: 04/12/01

Let's rethink end-of-year tests

To the Editor:

As noted by Paul O'Connor in his article titled "Parents fight back against high-stakes tests," it is about time somebody stands up for North Carolina's children in this heated debate concerning social promotion and end-of-grade testing.

Social promotion is unfair and essentially hurts all students and teachers, while end-of-grade tests are biased, stressful and show no indication of a student's ability.

Holding children back simply because they cannot perform well on tests is wrong! About seven hours a day, nine months a year are spent by students working inside the classroom, showing their growth and development over the course of a year. How can we allow a student's performance on one test to take precedence over his hard work throughout the year?

That is unreasonable, and it teaches that the work done during the year is worthless. Therefore, students will not put as much in to, or get as much out of, the work.

Besides being inaccurate and unfair, end-of-course testing places an extreme amount of pressure on these young children, whether they are 8 or 10. The gory consequences of failing this "live or die" test are thrown at them from the first day of school.

While attending the first Youth Legislative Conference for this region, I learned that it is not only parents, but also students, who would like to see some improvements in the methods of administering standardized tests. All students learn and perform well under different circumstances.

However, our wonderful standardized tests measure everyone's performance on the same scale. Students who perform poorly under pressure, learn by doing, lack the ability to interpret what they read, and those who simply do not test well are "left out to dry" under the current testing conditions.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Patrice Izzard

Cullowhee

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

To the Editor:

Some 43 percent of American parents report spanking or hitting their child within the last 12 months, 37 percent report insulting or swearing at their child, and 2 percent have kicked, bit, or punched their child.

More than 3 million children were reported to child protective service agencies as alleged victims of child abuse or neglect in 1998, and approximately 1 million of these cases were confirmed.

The physical and emotional abuse of children yields harmful consequences for society. A growing body of evidence links child abuse and neglect with drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, youth violence and chronic health problems.

These are only a few reasons why April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. April's observance of this problem is an appropriate opportunity to remind ourselves of our collective responsibility to prevent abuse and neglect that robs so many of society's children of their childhood, their sense of security and well-being, and future.

Together, we can really make a difference. If you believe a child has been - or may be - harmed, call 586-3574 or 1-800-354-KIDS. You can also visit www.childabusenc.org for more information.

Advocating for AWAKE,

Kimberly Carver

Ashley Potts

Regina Roberts

Etta Merritt

Franklin

Letters to the editor: 04/12/01

Let's rethink end-of-year tests

To the Editor:

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

To the Editor:

Back to Archive: 04/12/01.