At 05:19 PM 1/25/01 +0000, Gene Gallagher wrote:
> They conclude that the measurement of change has been and
>continues to be a highly controversial subject.
>--
>Eugene D. Gallagher
>ECOS, UMASS/Boston
this is so true and, if we think about it ... this is rather amazing (and
depressing at the same time ... amazingly depressing ... has a certain ring
to it) ... given, that so much of measurement ... and assessment ... of
people and kids in schools ... and health regimens and how the economy goes
... is based on a fundamental notion of "change" from one point in time to
another ... to another ... etc.
when we are parents ... with new kids ... we usually have some kind of a
baby book ... and, probably, are "prompted" to create a chart ... from 0 on
the baseline to years ... and on the Y we have "height" or "weight" etc.
... so, the book encourages you to make a chart ... see the trend ... that
is, make a visual of the "change"
what if we wanted to do that in school, with students ... say, pick
"vocabulary" ... or "facility in math" ... and start the baseline at 1st
grade ... on up to 12th grade ... with tick marks at 2, 3 ..... 10, 11 and
12 ... and the Y being "amount or scope of vocabulary" or "speed in doing
multiplication" or whatever
could we do it? DO we do it?
the answer to the first one is ... yes (at least rudimentarily) ... but the
answer to the second is NO!!!
so, when someone asks how much has my child "learned" in vocabulary or math
... or CHANGED ... from grade 1 to say ... grade 3 ... or grade 9 ...
we haven't a clue ... and no way to communicate answers to these questions
to parents, that's for sure (nor maybe even amongst the professionals)
sort of sad, isn't it?
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