Story Archive

A Test of Character

As part of the language arts portion of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge test, 4,000 third-graders were asked to tell a secret they’ve been keeping, and say why it’s difficult to keep. The question on the aptly named NJ ASK test was secretly a non-scored question being vetted for future use, says state education department spokesman Justin Barra. But a student’s results can affect whether he lands in basic skills classes. Students “want to answer a question; they don’t want to fail,” said Richard Goldberg, whose 9-year-old twin sons told him the question was the toughest part of the exam. “What right does the education system have to put children in such a difficult position?” Barra said the state will investigate. (AC/Asbury Park Press) ...My secret is I don’t like state tests. It’s hard to keep because the state test says I have to tell my secret.
Original Publication Date: 03 June 2012
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.

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