Chapter 5, Part II: Who is Assessing Whom for What?

The knowledge, attitudes, and behaviorsÂ? of students are assessed by the state through testing tools designed to measure mastery of specific desired outcomes. Some tools may Â? Â? include surveys containing questions regarding activities of the home.

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he Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) did not become law until 1993.Â? However, note that already in January, 1990, a document titled Our Children, Our Health, Our Future stated that the MSIP “is the new school accreditationÂ? system being implemented by the Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationÂ? (DESE) as one of the strategies to achieve comprehensive schoolÂ? health goals–health concepts should be integratedÂ? into current subjects tested by the Missouri Mastery Achievement Test (MMAT) and health should be integrated into subject matter areas such as social studies, reading, civics, and physical education.Â? These should be phased in as revisions are made by DESE, and eventually comprise 10-20 percent of this exam.”Â? Our Children, Our Health, Our Future went on to “encourage schools to use the DESE health education test item bank to assess student acquisition of health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors,” and to state that DESE and the Department of HealthÂ? should collaborate to replicate the CDC (Center for Disease Control) National Adolescent School Health SurveyÂ? in Missouri beginning in 1990 to formally assess statewide status of student health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.” [1]

The MMAT was developed to satisfy the testing provision in theÂ? federal Excellence in EducationÂ? Act of 1985 and Goals 2000: Educate America Act.Â? This law requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationÂ? to identify key skills or learner outcomes.Â? These outcomes were then published in the Core Competencies and Key Skills SchoolsÂ? in 1986.Â? Comprehensive Health Competencies and Key Skills for Missouri Schools includes “comparing alternative lifestyle choices, analyzing the major choices concerning responsible sexual behavior, assess the effect of overpopulation–, identify and critique health issues caused by advancing medical science (i.e., genetic engineering, euthanasia, other medical/ethical issues.)” [2]Â? Two areas tested for mastery in Form F of the Sophomore MMAT are overpopulationÂ? and sexually-transmitted diseases.Â? The MMAT was designed in accordance with the American Psychological Association’s Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.” [3]

The question is not whether these issues should be taught but rather what is the value or outcome the state is wanting students to internalize about these issues?� Are values� which students bring to class from home and church� regarding life and death being undermined during class time?� Are state and community outcomes� supporting or undermining the values of the family?� Are community values the SAME values as each student’s family?� If not, how does the school protect a student’s and family’s values?

Another assessment� tool is the drug and alcohol questionnaire.� A representative of The Center for Educational Assessment� located at the University of Missouri� in Columbia explained that the federal government provides such a survey� distributed through schools.� Students answer the surveys that are then sent to the University of Missouri in Columbia for processing.� The results (without the names) are sent to the federal government.� However, the cover sheet requests the student’s name, school, birthdate, home address, what school is to be attended the next year, and the name and address of the “person who will always be able to locate you.”

One such questionnaireÂ? for use in schools asks questions about race, gender, with whom the student lived with most of the past year, how the student feels about him/herself, drinking, television, drugs, police officers, school, their neighborhood, peer pressure, whether class time has been used to talk about drugs, alcohol, or cigarette use (are they checking on the teachers?) and etc.Â? The following questions were also listed in the questionnaire:

- “During the last 12 months, how often have you:� argued or had a fight with either of your parents?

- Has anyone in your household drunk beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages in the past month?

- Has anyone in your household smoked a cigarette in the past month?

- Are alcoholic beverages kept in your home?

- Are cigarettes kept in your home?

- Overall, how stressful have things been for your family in the last year?

- How likely are you to go to your parent(s) or guardian(s) with your problems?

- “Please tell whether you strongly agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with each [following] statement:

- Family members are supportive of each other during difficult times.

- Our family does many things together.

- There are many conflicts in our family.

- Discipline in our family is fair.

- Family members feel very close to each other.

- Each family member has input into family decisions.

- It’s OK for family members to have different opinions.

- When I am punished at home, I usually deserve it.

- One person makes most of the major decisions in my family.

- My family is strict about what I can and can’t do.

- When I get caught doing something wrong I can usually predict what my family will do about it.”

The survey� ends with the following statement in bold, capitalized letters “THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS.� NOW PLEASE PUT YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE IN THE ENVELOPE AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM.” [4]

Such surveys/questionnaires help the government know whether its health and education goals are being met.� Is this a “bad” thing?� It depends on how you feel about your autonomy and how much freedom you would like to have.� Keep in mind that government health goals include “reducing unintended pregnancies” as defined by the government (i.e. population control).

Regarding knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, “lifestyles,” and “prevention,” to be mastered in the area of school health, refer to this book’s chapter titled “SIECUS, the CDC, and State Health Curricula.”

Materials and goals created by national consortiums such as SIECUS, the CDC, the American School Health Association, and many others are being imposed on school districts through state acceptance of federal programs and funding.

The Missouri Assessment Program� (MAP) 2000 is Missouri’s new performance-based testing program.� It has been implemented in compliance� with Goals 2000� and the New Standards Project.� What activities will students be asked to “perform” in order to “demonstrate” that they have “mastered” outcomes/goals dealing with “lifestyles,” “prevention,” and other sensitive and value-laden topics, such as over-population and sexually-transmitted diseases?

Parents need to know how their child(ren) are being assessed, and for what they are being assessed. Parents also need to know why and for whom the assessments are being performed.� Parents also need to know who will have access to this information.� Is this information shared with the student’s teachers the following year so they know where the student stands academically?� How are the results shared with the federal government’s National Education Goals Panel, and the National Education Standards and Improvement Council created by Goals 2000?

Parents need to start asking more questions, and documenting the answers for themselves and their neighbors.