[etni] Re: Exam levels and What we're testing

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I'm yet again surprised at the tone of self-deprecation in many of the
responses to legitimate concern for our students.

The notion that an English test should, in fact, test English, and not IQ is
not a "knee-jerk" resistance to change.  It is an admission that our
students' intelligence levels are as varied as their English levels, and
while a "Native-Speaker" whose mother tongue is English may have a 90 IQ
(so-called low-normal intelligence)or a 130 IQ (high intelligence), he
should not be rewarded/penalized based on that, but rather on his knowledge
of the language!

The same holds true with all other levels of the Bagrut.  I have extremely
bright 3 pointers, who are brilliant in all other subjects, but weak in
English, and vice versa.  They should ALL be tested on their English
proficiency, not on their native intelligence, otherwise we have an even
less equal "playing field" than we already thought...

I think it is a point in our favor that we ARE so concerned that the test be
fair and level for all involved. I do NOT think that what we witnessed in
this modular Bagrut was a "return" to higher standards, but simply a lack of
clarity in what we were actually asking of our students, and a muddling of
the tasks we wished them to accomplish.

Hopefully, we will be able to learn from the various
suggestions/solutions/complaints gathered here on ETNI and improve the
modules' format for the next Bagrut.

Jodi Schenck
Rothberg High School
-----Original Message-----
From: etni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:etni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Ron Kessler
Sent: Sun, May 23, 2004 9:45 AM
To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [etni] Exam levels and What we're testing


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I am a little bewildered by the furor surrounding the exams. While I agree
wholeheartedly with the logistical gripes (three exams in one day with long
breaks etc), the rest is odd to me:

We have been complaining among ourselves for a significant period of time
about the lowering of standards generally, and in English too. The facts
appear to justify us. Now the ministry comes up with a more reasonable
returnto higher standards, and we're unhappy?

The talk about the testing of intelligence is both misleading and
self-confusing, in my humble opinion; I feel we are testing both reading
comprehension and the ability to think and express oneself in a foreign
language, (which is indeed very difficult).
However, we are talking about an academic Bagrut and it seems self-evident
tome that those taking it should be able to harness these abilities to a
larger or lesser degree. Many of these same pupils are doing 4 or 5 points
inthings like Maths and even Physics, or producing often amazing stuff at
five point level in other subjects. Intelligence is not an issue here, as I
see it. Certain abilities are and, I am convinced, legitimately.

Secretly I wonder if all this fuss is not more related to many of us
teacherssimply havng reached a stage where we are knee-jerk resistant to
change? This would be an irony indeed, considering our proffesion. But I
don't want to open that can of worms while we're still so busy with the
Bagrut.............or have I?





Ron Kessler Moshav Habonim 23 D.N.HofHacarmel 30845

E-mail: ronkes23@xxxxxxxxxxx Tel: (04) 639-0877 OR 052 855-596 Fax:
(04)629-0426

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