Teachers frustrated with test pressures

Terry Webster

Thursday, June 29, 2000 | 11:28 a.m.

State Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, has a firsthand perspective on the pressures that standardized testing creates for teachers.

As a teacher at Von Tobel Middle School, Giunchigliani has wrestled with the task of cramming test-related skills into the school day.

"The school year has to be longer and there has to be funding for it," she said.

And Giunchigliani has experienced the concern it causes a school -- like Von Tobel -- to be labeled "in need of improvement," by the Nevada Department of Education.

"It's a morale buster," she said. "Do teachers get told about test scores in evaluations? Absolutely. Do superintendents judge principals on the test scores? Yes. If this is what we're going to do, let's at least get out there and get everyone on grade level."

But could all of the public scrutiny and being called to the principal's office create enough pressure for teachers to cheat?

"Anything's possible," said Giunchigliani.

Currently, the Clark County School District is conducting an internal investigation prompted by test-coaching allegations by Ramona Johnson, a former teacher at Robert E. Lake Elementary School.

Johnson maintains that scores on the school's third grade Curriculum-Based Assessment Program (CBAP) test were inflated and she has proof the fourth grade TerraNova booklet was not protected. The booklet is supposed to remain locked up, except for testing purposes.

Johnson has a copy of the TerraNova booklet, and she says another teacher casually gave it to her, claiming that "teaching the test" was common practice at the school.

The Nevada Department of Education plans to conduct its own probe. Steve George, a spokesman for the state attorney general's office, said the agency would step in only if the Nevada Department of Education asks for assistance.

George said the attorney general has investigated testing matters before, but has not been asked to help in this case, at this time.

School officials today said the investigation is continuing. They firmly maintain there was no cheating on the TerraNova.

Mary Stanley-Larsen, a spokeswoman for the district, said school officials take the integrity of all testing very seriously and are looking into the allegations.

School Board members also are calling for a thorough investigation.

The TerraNova is used to measure basic grade level skills, while the CBAP measures the district's curriculum.

If teachers are coaching students on the TerraNova, a reading-based test, they are setting students up for failure because many are not reading at their grade level, Giunchigliani said.

"We also need to construct a curriculum that is the same throughout the district. That is not necessarily happening," she said.

Additionally, she feels there should be more flexibility in the way teachers teach.

"It's a real dilemma to say, 'You are supposed to be on page 197 in Chapter 8 today,' " said Giunchigliani. "That's not the best way to teach kids."

Another parent, Debra Craig, said she is fed up with her children being shortchanged by working below grade level and cheating.

For her, it started with her son, who is now 19 years old.

"They were reading third grade material when he was in the seventh grade," she said. "I went to the classroom one day and they were watching a video of 'Tubby the Tuba.' "

Craig said her daughter, who attended Vegas Verdes Elementary School, came home from school one day and announced that her teacher marked off the wrong answers on a math exam. Then, students were sent back to their desks to change them.

"I really went into an uproar," Craig said. "I contacted the principal and the area superintendent. But nothing was ever done."

Stanley Larson said there was an incident involving the CBAP test, which supports Craig's story.

"There was an investigation and the teacher was disciplined," Stanley Larson said.

Following the recent Lake Elementary allegations, two other parents withdrew their children and are now home-schooling them.

"My third grade daughter was on the honor roll and was a straight A student," said Frankie Archuleta. "She can't add, multiply, read or write. I have to reteach this child from scratch. I wouldn't send my dog to that school."

Miriam Dame also removed her daughter from Lake Elementary.

"She doesn't know her stuff," Dame said. "She doesn't know her basic skills. They have never even gotten into long division."

The parents said they are tired of excuses.

"One of the wonderful excuses I always hear is the parents aren't involved," said Craig. "But the teachers have to tell us if our kids are failing. I can see where teachers would feel pressured to cheat. But as a parent, I say don't do it. Because you are hurting my child."