Statewide Testing

* Shortly I will begin testing my second-graders on the state-required Stanford 9 test (April 20). The state requires my second-grade students to take nine sub-tests. The total testing time is six hours. Recently my college-bound daughter took the 3 1/2-hour SAT test; I find it ridiculous that my 7-year-old students are required to take six hours of tests.

Additionally, students who were in school in a Spanish-speaking country last year are required to take a six-hour Spanish test. Twelve hours of testing is in my opinion a form of government-sanctioned child abuse. Citizens should contact Gov. Gray Davis and express their concern over the length of testing that is required of our students. Certainly a two-hour test would be more reasonable and should be considered.

EILEEN A. COSCO

La Puente

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I’m a second-grade teacher for LAUSD. For the last two weeks we have been giving the statewide standardized test. This test is meant to be equitable for all students, but the math portion of the exam is really geared for auditory learners; 75% of the math test requires students to listen to the teacher in order to answer the math word problems and computations.

I feel I have adequately prepared my students for this test, but when a format is only focused for listening how can this be a true indicator of their ability level? Every year when the test results are released the public perception is that teachers are incompetent. If this test really measures student knowledge, then let it be based on reading ability, not listening.

MIKE ORKIN

Sunland