I sat in the Early Life Child Psychology and Education center this week, watching Dr. Gary Thompson\u2019s presentation about Common Core testing, thinking that Dr. Thompson is the fearless kid in the tale, \u201cThe Emperor\u2019s New Clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Thompson stands armed with honesty, science and evidence, pointing out that the Emperor of SAGE\/Common Core tests is stark raving naked. \u00a0All around Salt Lake City, meanwhile,\u00a0people play along with the wealthy emperor,<\/a>\u00a0pretending that nothing\u2019s wrong with what\u00a0the whole world seems to have been paid to agree<\/a>\u00a0are such smashing, new \u00a0\u2013dare we call them rigorous\u2014 clothes.<\/p>\n What does Dr. Thompson see as he analyzes the Common Core SAGE test in its birthday suit?<\/p>\n He points out foremost that there\u00a0is<\/strong>\u00a0such a thing as\u00a0a code of ethics<\/a>\u00a0for the psychological testing of children.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, wait\u2013\u201d says the State Office of Education\u2013 \u201cWe\u2019re not doing psychological testing on your kids.\u201d \u00a0But this does not placate Utahns who fact check for themselves.\u00a0SAGE\/Common Core tests \u2013in addition to being tests of academic subjects\u2013 are psychological tests.\u00a0We know this because:<\/em><\/p>\n 1) Utah law demands it. \u00a0HB15, passed in 2012<\/a>, required Utah\u2019s public and charter schools to administer computer adaptive tests aligned with Common Core. \u00a0It specified \u201cthe use of behavior indicators in assessing student performance.\u201d \u00a0Behavior indicators are not math, science or language arts data points. \u00a0They are psychological data points.<\/em><\/p>\n 2) The SAGE tests are created by Utah\u2019s test contractor, American Institutes for Research (AIR) which is primarily \u201cone of the\u00a0world\u2019s largest behavioral and social science \u00a0research organizations.<\/a>\u201d \u00a0Its stated mission is \u201cto conduct and apply the best\u00a0behavioral and social science research<\/strong>\u00a0and evaluation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 3) The federal Department of Education \u2013which shouldn\u2019t, but does, call shots for the Utah State Office of Education\u2013 openly\u00a0encourages psychological profiling<\/strong>\u00a0of students via tests, calling it \u201cdata-driven decision making,\u201d \u201ca data quality campaign<\/a>\u201d and other positive-sounding terms. \u00a0See any of itsinitiatives<\/a>,\u00a0reports and recommendations<\/a>\u00a0 which do depend on\/openly promote psychological profiling of children by testing.<\/em><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how Dr. Thompson says that SAGE violates the\u00a0code of ethics<\/a>\u00a0for psychological testing:<\/p>\n Standard 9.03<\/a>\u00a0from the\u00a0Ethical Principles<\/a>\u00a0of Psychologists states that \u201cpsychologists obtain\u00a0informed consent for assessments<\/a>. \u00a0SAGE does not do this. \u00a0The ethics for informed consent include\u00a0telling the client<\/strong>\u00a0(in SAGE\u2019s case, the student and parents) what the nature,\u00a0purpose and anticipated course of services<\/strong>\u00a0will be; using\u00a0clear language<\/strong><\/a>; allowing the client\u00a0\u00a0(student and parents) to ask questions; telling them about involvement of any\u00a0third parties who may have access<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to the information gathered via the test; disclosing whether\u00a0experimentation<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0will be used;\u00a0informing<\/strong>\u00a0the client whether the test administrator is a trainee or fully\u00a0qualified to administer<\/strong>\u00a0psychological testing; obtaining\u00a0consent in advance of recording or observing;<\/strong>\u00a0potential\u00a0risks<\/strong>; potential\u00a0limitations<\/strong>; and more.<\/p>\n Each of these codes of conduct were broken by the USOE in implementing SAGE tests on Utah schools.<\/p>\n Standard 9.02\u00a0<\/a>states that \u201cPsychologists use assessment instruments whose validity and reliability have been established\u2026when such validity or reliability has not been established, psychologists describe the strengths and limitations of test results and interpretation.\u201d<\/p>\n There have been no independent validity and reliability studies done on SAGE tests, whatsoever, as Dr. Thompson pointed out. \u00a0Another enormous principal of all scientific forms of testing\u2013 broken.<\/p>\n While it is clear that SAGE tests are psychological in nature, and that the tests do not adhere to the code of ethical conduct for psychological testing, there\u2019s even\u00a0more<\/strong>\u00a0at stake.<\/p>\n Dr. Thompson pointed out that the future is very close to already here: \u00a0Game-based assessment<\/a>, also known as\u00a0Stealth Assessments<\/a>, are secret tests embedded in video games for schools that are further eclipsing parental rights and knowledge about what data is being collected while children are at school. \u00a0Even teachers would not know what exactly is being collected or analyzed when\u00a0stealth assessments\u00a0<\/a>are used in classroom settings.<\/p>\n In a scholarly journal entitled \u201cDistrict Administration<\/a>\u201d Dr. Thompson read, and shared, that now, in an attempt to lessen student stress,\u00a0Gates-funded groups<\/a>are telling us that video games are the education of the future. \u201cDistrict Administration\u201d journal writes that because \u201ccomplex thinking skills can\u2019t be measured by traditional standardized tests, educators are turning to stealth assessments hidden in video games.\u201d The article continues, \u201cstealth assessments are seamless, so the distinction between learning and assessment is completely blurred. \u00a0Kids are playing, they are learning, and they are being assessed all at the same time<\/strong>.\u201d \u00a0Further: \u00a0\u201ctesting companies are working on ways to integrate formative assessments into daily instruction.\u201d \u00a0Children will be tested all of the time. \u00a0How does a person opt out of that?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Thompson\u2019s presentation also touched on many other issues of great importance. \u00a0He spoke about the vulnerable populations that are forced to take Common Core SAGE tests (unless parents opt them out). \u00a0These include children with any of a host of learning disabilities, children with depression and anxiety, children with autism and Asberger\u2019s, \u00a0children with \u00a0historically poor test taking scores due to cultural bias in testing including African-American and Latino children, children with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, children from high-stress poverty homes, children with psychotic disorders, ADHD, and dual exceptional (gifted and learning disordered) to name a few.<\/p>\n He shared from academic journals many ethical considerations associated with Common Core\u2019s pushing of the very young into \u201crigorous\u201d and age-inappropriate standards. \u00a0He shared research he\u2019s collected, too, about the use of children\u2019s data for marketing purposes, (quoting from the academic journal article, \u201cChildren as Consumers<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0This is relevant and troubling because the SAGE test creator, AIR, has open\u00a0partnerships (and data sharing policies) with numerous corporations<\/a>\u00a0that have no restraint on accessing SAGE-collected student information.<\/p>\n Thompson further discussed harm to the brain of a child using Common Core testing practices on every type of child, and using Common Core styled math on every type of learner. \u00a0He spoke of the\u00a0brain\u2019s disorganization response to Common Core-styled math pedagogy<\/a>\u00a0and to high-stakes tests like SAGE.<\/p>\n This brain-analyzing portion of the presentation must be explained in detail in a separate post. \u00a0Briefly: the neurological (brain-affecting) Common Core issues raised by Dr. Thompson\u2019s research are extremely important in light of the fact that both\u00a0Bill Gates<\/a>\u00a0(Common Core funder) and our\u00a0federal government are highly focused on studying and applying research about the neurology of children<\/a>, right now. \u00a0The federally approved\u00a0Fattah Neuroscience Initiative<\/a>,\u00a0also known as the White House Neuroscience Initiative, was granted\u00a0federal funds to invest in brain research and drug development, and not just to prevent Alzheimer\u2019s. \u00a0Its stated aims: \u201coptimizing interactions between the environment and the brain across the lifespan,\u201d \u201capplying the brain\u2019s information processing capabilities\u201d and \u201cenhancing communication among federal agencies\u201d. \u00a0Congressman\u00a0Fattah<\/a>\u00a0 wrote that he is \u201ca major proponent of\u00a0brain mapping\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0 understand\u2026the role of individual neurons in controlling our thoughts, movements\u2026\u201d. \u00a0\u2013Recall that Secretary Duncan mocked \u00a0the idea that the federal government was involved in this, when it was accused of collecting student data using Common Educational Data Standards. He\u00a0said<\/a>, \u201cLet\u2019s not even get into the really wacky stuff: mind control, robots, and biometric\u00a0brain mapping<\/strong>.\u201d Yet that is exactly what the federal Fattah Neuroscience Initiative aims to do. \u00a0Congressman Fattah has made it clear that brain mapping is the\u00a0aim of the White House Neuroscience Initiative<\/a>. \u00a0Now, let\u2019s use our brains. \u00a0Who is the only huge, captive group of guinea pigs they have under their control upon whom they can do brain mapping research (call it education) for hours and hours every single day? \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Dr. Thompson\u2019s full presentation was long, and I will post it when I get a link to the film. \u00a0You\u2019ll want to see the whole presentation and discuss it with your local and state representatives on the school boards in detail. \u00a0Each of the issues touched on in Dr. Thompson\u2019s presentation deserves a chapter or a book written on it.<\/p>\n But to keep it simple, digestible, and close to home, let\u2019s focus on one thing: \u00a0the thing Dr. Thompson focuses on; the\u00a0SAGE test<\/a>.\u00a0You\u2019ll want to\u00a0opt your children out\u00a0<\/a>of every type of SAGE test: \u00a0summative (end of year),\u00a0formative and interim (year round SAGE tests.)<\/a><\/p>\n It is the enforcer of Utah\u2019s Common Core and the primary vehicle for massive student data collection right now. \u00a0We need to get rid of it, or opt individual children \u2013by the thousands and thousands\u2013 out of it, so that its data collectors cannot do what they aim to do, and so that Common Core experimental standards cannot take deep root in our schools, cannot\u00a0dictate teacher salaries<\/a>, cannot\u00a0narrowly define and narrowly present<\/a>\u00a0what is \u201ceducation\u201d to our children.<\/p>\n Somebody\u00a0will<\/strong>\u00a0look out for students\u2019 mental health, privacy, and happiness, even in this age of politically motivated high-stakes SAGE testing \u2013and soon, in this age of stealth testing. \u00a0Somebody<\/strong>\u00a0will<\/strong>\u00a0look out for the parents\u2019 rights to know about and to guide psychological treatment or analysis of children. \u00a0Someone<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0will<\/strong>\u00a0pound on the door of the USOE, the governor, and the legislators\u2019 offices, demanding the end of SAGE tests in Utah schools, demanding answers to the questions that Dr. Thompson and other child psychologists, such as\u00a0Joan Landes<\/a>\u00a0and Dr. Megan Koschnick (video below) have raised.<\/p>\n That someone is that person in your bathroom mirror or it\u2019s nobody, because everybody\u2019s so busy.<\/p>\n Legislators are busy. \u00a0Teachers are busy. Board members are busy. Reporters are busy. \u00a0Common Core technological implementers and teacher development conference producers are busy. Everyone is so busy being busy that the busy-ness that matters most of all\u2014\u00a0our children and our liberty-<\/strong><\/em>– have lost precious ground.<\/p>\n It is not too late.<\/p>\n![\"what-is-stealth-assessment-1-728\"](\"https:\/\/whatiscommoncore.files.wordpress.com\/2014\/11\/what-is-stealth-assessment-1-728.jpg?w=300&h=225\")
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