U.S. Asks Educators to Reinvent Student Tests, and How They Are Given

Ashley
Posting Number: 1

Topic: Education

Title: U.S. Asks Educators to Reinvent Student Tests, and How They Are Given

Writer: Sam Dillon

Publication Name: The New York Times

Date of Publication: Sept. 2nd, 2010

Length: about 800 words

Summary: As a part of the Race to the Top grant competition, The US Department of Education recently awarded $330 million to two major groups that plan to test and design a new form of academic achievement testing that is computer based. It is intended to test "higher-order skills ignored by the multiple choice exams used in nearly every state" and to assess students' mastering of English and Math standards that several states have adopted lately. Currently, states have different testing systems and standards of what qualifies as proficient and what doesn't. There has been a recent push to unify these across the nation. In total, forty-four states including California are taking part in this experiment. The first group is composed of 25 states and the District of Columbia while the second includes 31 states, with some overlapping membership with the first group. Testing experts and professors are being called upon to work on providing tests with performance-based tasks to test students on their ability to utilize everything they've learned in real-world situations. The tests are expected to allow for more immediate feedback on what concepts the students have yet to fully understand. In turn, teachers will be expected to use these results to structure their lessons accordingly. According to the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, the new testing is expected to be up and running by the 2014-2015 school year.

Conclusion: The new system is expected to overturn the old standardized testing system of multiple-choice questions. The core purpose of the funding and the two groups leading this testing revolution is to create tests that challenge the minds of American students with real-world situations so that they can apply what they have learned instead of simply regurgitating facts. This event also reflects the growing influence of technology in everyday situations.

New Test Seen As Big Advance in Diagnosing TB

Julia

Title: New Test Seen As Big Advance in Diagnosing TB
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Writer: Marilynn Marohione
Length (of article): 779

Main Idea: With the help of Dr. Peter Small, scientists have been able to create a new test that could replace the 125-year-old process we currently have in our hospitals. These tests would be available for anyone, and to increase the amount of hospitals they can get it at, in poor countries, the price would be less than half of the current price. This new test is revolutionizing TB care by replacing the process which currently misses over half of all TB cases. It would mostly be for inner cities because it would reduce the number of drugs people would have to take by originally determining if they are immune to the medication. It was released for sale last year in Europe, and although prices have been discussed for other countries, there have been no reports on the dates that they will be released.

Conclusion: Overall this new test will be able to replace the old one, which in turn will do many things. It will diagnose roughly about 97 percent of all TB cases, and 98 percent of the people who are resistant to rifampin, a drug used to treat TB. It will also be made cheaper for countries that cannot afford it, which will increase the amount of hospitals that carry the new test.

Federal judge Vaughn Walker overturns California's Prop 8 in win for same-sex marriage

Stephanie

Posting Number: 1

Topic: Civil Rights

Title: Federal judge Vaughn Walker overturns California's Prop 8 in win for same-sex marriage

Author: Lukas Alpert

Publication Name: NY Daily News

Date of Publication: August 4th, 2010

Length: 400 words

Main ideas:
U.S. District Justice Vaughn Walker overturned the long-controversial Proposition 8 in California. The ban came into affect in 2008 and this action of overturning happened just recently.
Walker stated that the proposition "fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license."

Proponents of this law claimed that the judge was abusing his judicial power.

Opponents of the law saw the overturning of the law as a step in the right direction for the United States.

The case, as of yet, is not final; both sides have vowed to appeal and the case will most likely go to the Supreme Court.

In conclusion, overturning Proposition 8 was just the first step. Many other hope that these rights will be given to same-sex couples in other states as well. People will continue to fight for equal rights.

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