Educator E. discusses the implementation of new standardized tests in New Mexico called PARCC that have replaced previous exams. She notes that the curriculum remains the same but everything must now be taught in half the time, negatively impacting students. Some students have had meltdowns and failed sections because the questions take too long to decipher. Educator E. believes the overtesting has created a depressing atmosphere and fears it will undermine students' hope for the future. While some students protested the new tests, others felt alternative approaches like allowing inevitable failures on the exams could be more effective at achieving reform.

1. Nani Lawrence
April 3, 2015
JOUR 306
Project 2 Revisions
Educator E., who chose the made-up identifier personally to protect her job, has taught
for over a decade now. The teacher’s livelihood largely comes from seeing her work pay off for
students. She considers her students’ success a personal success.
Even with new tests implemented, the curriculum is the same, according to the educator.
There are two big and quite significant differences, though, she said: everything must be taught
in half the time, and the students are not themselves because of it.
These newly-implemented exams, known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness
for College and Careers, or PARCC, were established by a consortium currently consisting of 12
states and the District of Columbia (also simply called PARCC) to move toward a uniform
expectation of academic excellence.
Some expect complaints against PARCC come from students who wish to get out of
testing for apathetic reasons, but this seems not to be the case.
Adapting to the changes brought on by brand new tests seem not only to frustrate the
Tularosa Basin-area teacher. She has observed “melt-downs after each session,” tears, and utter
heartache for high-achieving students. Even students who do not necessarily strive for greatness
told the educator they select random answers, and answer essay questions with why they believe
the tests are a waste of time. Educator E., similarly, feels every students’ failure is also her own
failure, she said.

2. “I have to prepare my students to be successful on a test most adults wouldn’t be
proficient on,” Educator E. said. “It is infuriating and heartbreaking to watch my students fail at
everything they try.”
Educator E. said PARCC, the Standards-based Assessment (SBA) science portion, and
the End-of-Year (EOY) or End-of-Course (EOC) tests combined can last up to eleven weeks,
depending on school size. “After 2 weeks of testing so far, the atmosphere in the building is
depressing,” the teacher said. “(My top students) can’t even finish the test because it takes so
long to decipher (the wording of) the questions.” Each section of these tests are timed, she added.
On March 13th
, the Health and Social Services auditorium located on the New Mexico
State University campus hosted a speaker on the issue as part of the university’s English
department’s Borderlands Writing Project.
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, a scholar on educational policy who both graduated from and
teaches at Arizona State University, gave a speech in part discussing her dissertation focusing on
high-stakes testing. In a recording of her speech, Amrein-Beardsley delves into the background
of such testing. It all started when George W. Bush was the governor of Texas. In the position,
he implemented a state-wide test in an effort to get all students academically performing on the
same level, and at first scores rose. Bush called this the “Texas miracle,” and sought to
implement it nation-wide as president, as the No Child Left Behind Act, she said.
Along with the new act, “value-added models” were set up as a way to measure the
effectiveness of teachers based on their students’ test scores, as a form of accountability,
Amrein-Beardsley said on the recording.

3. PARCC (the consortium) developed a new test to determine college preparedness using
computer-based technology. The first full round of testing is being administered this academic
school year (2014-2015), while field testing was done last year, according to NM legislative
documents.
According to PARCC’s official website, the tests are designed to be used as a tool for
teachers and parents to help direct students towards success after high school graduation.
“We’re not even allowed to write our own final exams,” the teacher said, because there is
no time. The EOYs/EOCs replace them, she said. It is unclear how much say educators will have
in what material these replacement finals contain.
Some students are not too happy about these tests, either. On March 2nd
, students across
the state participated in walkouts to voice concern about the tests’ necessity.
“I think all this testing is unnecessary,” said Ryan Sanders, 15, a student at Alamogordo
High School. “We should use the time for teachers to teach instead of (students) being evaluated
on every little thing we do.”
Another point of dismay for students is the scheduling that comes along with the new
testing. A 15-year-old junior from AHS, whose parents are both teachers, has not yet been able
to take the test because she has dual-credit classes that conflict with testing times, the student
said.
“(It is also not fair that) teachers are being evaluated on subjects they never taught. They
are being evaluated on some survey that students fill out. They have an objective that specifically
says ‘students will be able to demonstrate’ in front of it, and it has to be different every day!” the
junior said.

4. PARCC was awarded “Race to the Top” assessment funding in September 2010 “for the
development of a K-12 assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards in
English language arts and mathematics,” according to a news statement released by Sandy Boyd,
former Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President at the non-profit organization
Achieve.
“Common Core has a decent amount of goals, but they are ‘deep.’ The fact that the
testing format has changed so drastically with PARCC makes it impossible to teach all of the
Common Core expectations,” Educator E. said.
When the topic shifts to the actual protests, students are actually a bit divided. In some
areas in the state, the protests have been organized and goal-oriented, while in others, the protests
have been more about getting out of class than anything else, by all accounts.
“Walking out isn’t effective (at AHS) because we all have English and math at different
times,” Jacqueline Rodriguez, 16, said. “(The protest) just caused a bunch of cops to drive
around the school for a week.”
Others, at the same school, are more optimistic.” I believe that the protests have made
different people with different backgrounds from our school come together. Even if you didn't
protest, you still had the support of students and staff,” senior Juan Garcia, 18, said. “The
protests in the state were amazing.”
Garcia said he was pleased that the protests gained attention in the communities affected
as well as nationally through outlets such as the Washington Post and ABC.
The protests are much more effective than, say, writing letters to our senators, said my
anonymous 15-year old source. “Having a ton of students across the state walking out makes a

5. statement, but I do think that the students need to be informed (about what they are standing up
for),” she added.
Some students, such as Rodriguez and Zachary Jencks, 17, believed successfully
achieving the end goal requires alternative methods.
“I say just take the test,” Rodriguez said. It is more meaningful if the state sees so many
kids inevitably failing these exams, Jencks added.
Educator E.’s problem is not with Common Core, by any means, but with the test the NM
Public Education Division chose to replace the SBA, she said. “Since we have to test in order to
receive federal funding, it's difficult to imagine a happy ending. My dream is to have the
individual school boards of each district given their power back.”
The road to success, in her eyes, is for students to have hope for their future, and right
now there is no hope, Educator E. said.

6. statement, but I do think that the students need to be informed (about what they are standing up
for),” she added.
Some students, such as Rodriguez and Zachary Jencks, 17, believed successfully
achieving the end goal requires alternative methods.
“I say just take the test,” Rodriguez said. It is more meaningful if the state sees so many
kids inevitably failing these exams, Jencks added.
Educator E.’s problem is not with Common Core, by any means, but with the test the NM
Public Education Division chose to replace the SBA, she said. “Since we have to test in order to
receive federal funding, it's difficult to imagine a happy ending. My dream is to have the
individual school boards of each district given their power back.”
The road to success, in her eyes, is for students to have hope for their future, and right
now there is no hope, Educator E. said.