Friday, February 13, 2009

Student Catches Mistake On State Test

Considering the amount of time and effort that go into state tests, there absolutely should not be glaring errors in them. Yet a student in Kansas found a fairly large one.

Note the topic was greenhouse gases. Why do we have to go all "pop culture" in these tests? Is there nothing less polarizing that could go into these tests?

To the person who commented at the linked article that this is only a story because the student is white and not black or brown: you, sir or ma'am, are an idiot.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Greenhouse gases are not "pop culture". They are a massively important part of understanding why our environment is the way it is. The fact that some people like to pretend otherwise is sad, but is no more relevant to reality than the people want pretend that evolution never happened.

Darren said...

I don't think evolution would be a proper topic to put on such tests. We should not be putting polarizing topics on tests; if we want to test reading, let's read about something a little less likely to be politicized.

Or perhaps you think Biblical passages and interpretations would make appropriate state test material....

Anonymous said...

Holy crap. You actually think evolution, the central matter of biology for the last century, should not be on tests? What about the shape of the earth? What about the Holocaust?

Darren said...

Evolution does not belong on a state writing test. The purpose there is to test writing, not someone's political, cultural, religious, or scientific viewpoint.

No, I wouldn't put the Holocaust on a writing test, either.

I'd put the shape of the earth up there with gravity--much less controversial and demonstrable.

Anonymous said...

Darren, do you "believe in" evolution?