More White Lies from Louisiana

My letter to all members of the Louisiana House and Senate Education Committees:

Ladies and Gentlemen of House and Senate Education: 

When legislation regarding PARCC assessments are presented before your committees, this information will be useful to prevent John White from pulling the wool over your eyes. I hope you question him about these misrepresentations published daily by Superintendent White. 

 Posted below you will see one of the Daily Sample Test Questions that John White emails to subscribers.  

Misrepresentation #1: White refers to PARCC Common Core Assessments as "Louisiana's new assessments." Nowhere do you see the words Common Core or PARCC.  

Fact:  these are sample test questions found on the PARCC website. Here is the sample test question as John White publishes it:

http://www.louisianabelieves.com/docs/default-source/2014-2015-sample-test-questions/03-13-14-grade-8-ela-brians-winter.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Here is the same sample test question found on the PARCC website:

http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/PARCCELASampleItemsOverviewPPT-Grade8LATSet.pptx

Misrepresentation #2:  White attributes these "new assessments" and then,  by association,  these sample test items to Louisiana educators.

 These new assessments were developed with significant input from Louisiana educators who have served as key partners in identifying content for the test, developing the specific items, and guiding the technology specifications.

Fact:  Louisiana educators did not write the PARCC test nor the sample assessment items nor did they have "significant input,"  "develop specific items," or guide technology specifications (whatever that means).  If White were being honest and efficient he would simply direct teachers to the PARCC website where they can review all items at the grade level and subject they need and the LDOE would save taxpayer money by not wasting his employees'  time reconfiguring these test items and posting on a daily basis.  You will find all sample assessment items on the PARCC website here:

http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes

http://www.parcconline.org/samples/english-language-artsliteracy/grade-8-elaliteracy

Why is John a White misrepresenting the source of these sample assessment items?  

8th grade ELA Sample Question March 13:

Follow Us:    QUESTION OF THE DAY March 13, 2014 In order to ensure Louisiana students are prepared for college and Louisiana's economy, our state is moving to higher standards and new assessments.  The Louisiana Department of Education will highlight one sample question each day to help Louisiana educators and families preview Louisiana's new 2014-15 assessments.  These new assessments were developed with significant input from Louisiana educators who have served as key partners in identifying content for the test, developing the specific items, and guiding the technology specifications. Today's sample question is from 8th Grade English Language Arts.  In this question, a student will be asked to read a passage and use context clues to determine the author's meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words. To view today's 2014-2015 Sample Question for Thursday, March 13, please click here. As each sample question is highlighted, it will be posted on the Department's website.  To view questions posted by date, please click here. To view all sample questions released by grade for English Language Arts and math, please click here.  To try out sample test questions using the same online format students will use to take the test, as well as view online tutorials demonstrating the tools available to students, please click here.