Are Children Taking Too Many Tests?

Urban school systems in the US give too many tests, says a new study. President Obama agrees. In an open letter to parents, he asks: “I’ve got a pop quiz for parents and teachers across the country. If our kids had more free time at school, what would you want them to do with it? "A. Learn to play a musical instrument. "B. Study a new language "C. Learn how to code HTML "D. Take more standardized tests "If you’re like most of the parents and teachers I hear from, you didn’t choose 'D.' I wouldn’t either... In moderation, smart strategic tests can help us measure our kids’ progress in school.  "But I also hear from parents who rightly worry about too much testing. And I’ve heard from teachers who feel so much pressure to teach to a test that it takes the joy out of teaching and learning. Both for them and for the students.”   A group of 68 of the largest urban public school systems in the U.S. calls itself the Council of Great City Schools. It released a new study in October that looked at school testing in 66 urban school districts. The study found that Grade 8 students in the 2014-2015 school year spent an average of 4.2 days, or 2.3 percent of school time, taking tests. Grade 8 had the most testing time of any grade. Too many tests? The report said that schools gave too many tests in the same subject. Students had to show how much they had learned again and again.   Often, schools did not receive test results until months later. When test results arrived, schools could not make timely changes to the curriculum to improve learning. Also, the report found that the majority of tests did not align with educational standards. The tests gathered information about how the students were doing. But it was unclear that the tests measured if students had the skills to succeed in college or a career. The result, the report says, is an illogical system of national testing. The system does not seem to be well planned. Why are there so many tests? The study comes at an important time in the debate over testing in U.S. schools. In recent years, politicians and educators have debated how much testing is necessary. Historically, local and state governments have been responsible for schooling. In the 1990s, educators and politicians demanded that the federal government step in. They asked that state and local governments agree to education standards. Some schools in some states and cities were not doing well. In 2002, Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act. The law's goal was to improve standards at primary and secondary schools. It required states to find the substandard schools by testing them. But many students performed poorly even though they graduated from high school. Some were not prepared for college or for a career. Politicians debated about using national standards to measure education across the US. They never reached an agreement. In 2009, some US states began the Common Core Standards Initiative. Common Core sets milestones students should reach for English, Language Arts and mathematics. States that have adopted Common Core will test to measure student's success in the same subject areas. However, local and state governments can also give their own tests. And those tests differ, even if they cover the same subject. This partly explains why schools give so many tests in the U.S. International Perspectives on Testing Ideas about testing in schools vary around the globe. In Japan, it is common for schools to have many tests, particularly in high school. Glen Hill, an assistant professor at Obihiro University in Hokkaido, Japan, said the private school where he taught had five tests a year. They lasted all day and covered many subjects. Like in the U.S., test results in Japan were used to measure a school's performance. In other countries, students spend very little time taking tests. In Finland, high-school students take one national test for entrance into a university. Students may take other tests, but they are smaller, and measure progress. The results do not hold schools accountable, as they do in the U.S. Many education experts consider Finland to have the best education system in the world. One feature of standardized tests is that they allow for comparison. Australia has a website with test scores, so that parents, students and educators can compare schools across Australia. They can see which schools or groups are performing at a lower level.   What do children really remember? The White House released an action plan on testing after the Great Cities report. It suggests principles and steps to balance teaching with testing.  President Obama said he did not remember how teachers prepared him to take a test. Instead, he remembers how they prepared him to explore the world around him. “But when I look back on the great teachers who shaped my life, what I remember isn’t the way they prepared me to take a standardized test. What I remember is the way they taught me to believe in myself. To be curious about the world. "To take charge of my own learning so that I could reach my full potential. To inspire me to open up a window into parts of the world I’d never thought of before. That's what good teaching is. That's what a great education is... Because learning is about so much more than filling in the right bubble." I’m Jill Robbins. And I'm John Russell. John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Now it’s your turn. If you are a parent, how do you feel about your child taking many tests? If you are a student, do you feel you are taking too many tests? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   standardize v. to change (things) so that they are similar and consistent and agree with rules about what is proper and acceptable urban adj. of or relating to cities and the people who live in them standards n. a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable or desirable bubble n. a circle in which you make a mark to show that you choose something (often on a test). illogical adj. not thinking about things in a reasonable or sensible way    

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Chinese Singles Drive the World's Biggest Shopping Day Online

Singles’ Day in China is the biggest online shopping day in the world. It was created in 2009 by Alibaba’s CEO Daniel Zhang to increase online sales. Since then, it has grown into a cultural phenomenon.

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Activists Versus Media at the University of Missouri

For several weeks, #ConcernedStudent1950 activists were looking for media coverage of their protest at the University of Missouri or #Mizzou. The protesters called for university president Tim Wolfe to step down. They said he did not respond to months of incidents of racism on campus. The protest and pressure on social media led to the resignation of Tim Wolfe and the chancellor on Monday. Now at #Mizzou, it is #Concerned1950 versus the media. An online debate has started on First Amendment rights.  “The right of the people peaceably to assemble” and “the freedom of the press” are both rights protected in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The activist group has tweeted several requests on social media for the media to respect their privacy.   They have set up a campsite in a public space on campus called the Carnahan Quad. But because it is a public space, members of the media also have the right to be there.   Student journalist Mark Schierbecker posted a video Monday night from the campus. The video showed a photographer being pushed away and shoved by #ConcernedStudent1950 activists.   In the video, another photographer and college student Tim Tai explained to the activists that the First Amendment “protects your right to be here and mine.” One protester told Tai to “forget the law, how about humanity?” A group of activists then encircled Tai to prevent him from taking photos. “You’re pushing me,” Tai says to the group. Tai has received support on social media. But he later tweeted that he did not wish to receive attention, and that he did not have “ill will toward the people in the video. I think they had good intentions though I’m not sure why it resorted to shoving.” ​ Schierbecker, who filmed the scene between Tai and the activists, made it into the campsite. On camera, he asks a woman, later identified as a Mizzou professor of mass media, if he can talk to her. The professor, Melissa Click, tells Schierbecker that he does not have the right to be at the campsite. The professor tells the student he must leave. “I actually don’t,” Schierbecker is heard saying. Click then shouts that she needs help removing the reporter from the campsite. She says she is going to “need some muscle.” The video started a social media debate about First Amendment rights and free speech. ​ ​   ​In a statement Tuesday, University of Missouri Dean David Kurpius said the events Monday provided an “opportunity to educate students” about the rights to a free press. “The events of Nov. 9 have raised numerous issues regarding the boundaries of the First Amendment. Although the attention on journalists has shifted the focus from the news of the day, it provides an opportunity to educate students and citizens about the role of a free press.” By mid-day Tuesday, signs on the campus protesting the media had been removed. The group began handing out pieces of paper that said the group should instead “welcome and thank” members of the media.   ​Ashley Thompson wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   resignation versus assemble humanity

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November 10, 2015

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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US Town Elects Muslim City Council

A Detroit suburb has made history by electing a city council where a majority of members are Muslim. The town of Hamtramck has four Muslim-Americans as city council members. Two councilmen - Anam Miah and Abu Musa – were re-elected. Saad Almasmari received the most votes. He received 22 percent of the vote. Almasmari moved to Hamtramck in 2009. He became a U.S. citizen in 2011. Hamtramck has a population of 22,423, and 41 percent are foreign-born, according to the United States Census Bureau. Estimates of Hamtramck’s Muslim population stands between 30 percent and 50 percent, according to United Press International. The Muslim population of Hamtramck came from Yeman, Bangladesh and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Reactions to the campaigns and elections varied. Almasmari said his campaign posters were damaged by paint. Bill Meyer, a city leader, says the Muslim council members “bring stability, security and sobriety while lessening the amount of drugs and crime in the city."  Meyer’s comments came from a Detroit Free Press article on the Hamtramck election campaign. I'm Mario Ritter.   Jim Dresbach reported this story for VOANews.com. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story suburban – adj. living in or relating to a suburb or to suburbs in general council – n. a group of people who are chosen to make rules, laws, or decisions about something sobriety – n. the state of not being drunk   ​

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Veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan Become a Force in Politics

Today, Tammy Duckworth is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a candidate for the Senate. Eleven years ago, she was an Army soldier flying Blackhawk helicopters in Iraq. On the day after Veterans Day 2004, a grenade struck her helicopter. The blast destroyed her legs and severely damaged an arm. Those injuries and her experience as a soldier made her want to become involved in politics, she says. “So I got this second chance at life, and I see my time now as a bonus. And that’s really allowed me to speak up without fear. And stand up for what I believe in – for what we all believe in. After all, what are the folks who don’t agree with me and my political adversaries going to do – blow me up?” Duckworth is part of a small but growing force in U.S. politics: veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress includes 25 lawmakers out of 535 who are veterans of America’s two most recent wars. In the history of veterans in Congress, that number is both small and large. In 1971, veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War made up over 70 percent of Congress. Since then, the overall number of veterans in Congress has declined. One reason is that a lower percentage of Americans – only about 2 percent -- serve in the military. In addition, most American voters no longer consider military service to be a requirement to hold elected office. But soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are increasingly running for office and winning seats. They include four female veterans. Among them is Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. “And I stand here before you today because my buddies didn’t leave me behind. They literally lifted me up and carried me off the battlefield and saved my life. After everything they did to save me, I really feel that I owe them.” Vets in Congress Congress has the highest number of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to serve in national office, says the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.  Matt Miller is the chief policy officer for the organization, as well as a veteran himself. Miller says veterans want to bring some of the leadership and cooperation skills they learned in the military to politics. But he notes that military culture is not partisan – in other words, soldiers do not usually express a strong political point of view. “The only left and right in the military is the person to your left and right. And that all that you hope for, that when light turns green, and there’s action that needs to be taken, that they have your back.” Miller says that veterans who become politicians are concerned about soldiers after they return from service. He says top issues include veterans’ health and benefits, and the ability for veterans to continue their education. They also advise the president and military leaders on conflicts, including those in Syria and Afghanistan. “What I think they’re advocating for is getting the job done. And whatever that takes in getting the job done with the best-trained, best-equipped military possible. So I think that is where their heart would lie.” For example, Miller says, leaving U.S. troops in Afghanistan longer allows the military to “get the job done.” I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. Kelly Jean Kelly reported this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Want to say something to these and other veterans? Please leave a comment or post to our Facebook page.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grenade – n. a small bomb adversaries - n. enemies or opponents buddies – n. people who do some activity with you partisan – adj. strongly supporting one leader, group, or cause over another We want to hear from you. What role do you think former soldiers can play in politics?

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Was Jordan Shooting a Terror Attack?

It remains unclear why a shooter killed five people at a Jordan police training center Monday, a U.S. State Department official said. The shooter killed two Jordanians, two Americans and a South African. Police then shot and killed the gunman. He was identified as 28-year-old police Captain Anwar Abu Zeid. The shootings happened on the 10th anniversary of the deadly hotel bombings in Amman, the capital, reported the Washington Post. Two other Americans were wounded in the attack. The four U.S. citizens attacked were trainers at the Jordan International Police Training Center near Amman. They worked for DynCorp. It is a U.S.-based security company. The training center is used to train police cadets from the Middle East, the State Department said. Palestinian security forces train there, as well as police officer candidates for duty in Iraq. It opened in 2003. At the White House, President Barack Obama said the U.S. is taking the attack “very seriously.” Jordan’s King Abdullah II visited attack victims at a Jordanian hospital. The Jordanian government is investigating the shooting. I’m Anna Matteo.   VOA State Department correspondent Pamela Dockins reported this story. VOA's Victoria Macchi and National Security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section or visit our Facebook page.  ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story cadet – n. a military school student who is preparing to be an officer     ​

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VOA English Newscast: 1500 UTC November 10, 2015

  From Washington, this is VOA News. I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. Russia says allegations its athletes were part of a widespread doping and efforts to cover it up are "groundless" and insists that its policies strictly adhered to those of the global anti-doping agency and of the International Olympic Committee.  A Kremlin spokesman said Tuesday that evidence had not been presented to substantiate the claims. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Russian Anti-Doping agency, Nikita Kamaev, acknowledged there have been some issues: He says, "I believe that problems obviously exist, but Russia is on a path to clear its name and change, and this is trend recently. It is strange to talk about that for me as if I am praising myself. But according to objective facts - and we use statistics of changes - Russian anti-doping, based on the criteria suggested by the national agencies, by the international agency itself, operates totally in accordance with the criteria and fights doping effectively enough." On Monday, a World Anti-Doping Agency commission report implicated athletes, coaches, trainers and doctors, as well as various Russian institutions. Militants shelled the coastal Syrian city of Latakia Tuesday, killing at least 16 and wounding 53, according to state media, in one of the deadliest attacks on the government stronghold in recent months. The state news agency SANA said the shells were fired by militants affiliated with the al-Qaida branch in Syria, known as the Nusra Front. Syrian State TV said two shells hit near an area of Tishrin University on Tuesday afternoon. VOA News. ______________________________________________________________ Words in the News   allegations – n. claims athletes – n. people who are trained in or good at sports or games doping – n. the illegal use of a drug or banned substance insists – v. to demand something strictly – adj. demanding that people obey rules or traditions adhered – v. to follow; to connect to something global – adj. worldwide or international substantiate – v. to prove something is true acknowledge – v. to admit or confirm obviously – adj. in a way that is easy to recognize or understand trend – n. movement in a general direction according – adj. as stated in or by statistics – n. an area of mathematics dealing with the collection and study of numbers criteria – n. something that is sued as a reason for making a decision accordance – n. agreement implicated – v. to some that someone or something is closely involved with something various – adj. different institutions – n. organizations or agencies stronghold – n. a place where most people have the same beliefs or values branch – n. part of a government; a local office of a company or organization   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the comments section.  ​

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Major Victory for Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar

  Election results in Myanmar show big victories for Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) party she leads. Voter turnout reached 80 percent, according to the Guardian news site. The NLD received 90 percent of the entire vote, reported CNN. That amount of votes for one party is called a “landslide.” Close to 7,000 people from 91 political parties ran for office in Sunday’s election. Election results were slow to be announced. The first results reported that NLD won 12 seats. A second report said NLD had won 15 more spots. It was also reported that seven NLD winners were women. Aung San Suu Kyi spoke with supporters at NLD headquarters. “I think everyone already knows or has guessed what the election result is,” she said. The parliament in Myanmar has 498 seats. The ruling party in Myanmar – also known as Burma - is the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). The military supports the USDP.    The ruling military party holds 25 percent of the seats in parliament. The NLD needs 333 seats – or 67 percent - to overcome a military veto. The election was the first in Myanmar since 2011. The legislature is called the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. It consists of an upper and lower house. One of its tasks is to select Myanmar’s president. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Jim Dresbach adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. What do you think about democracy in Myanmar, also called Burma? Please leave us your comment and post on our Facebook page.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   turnout – n. the number of people who go to or participate in something landslide – n. an election which the winner gets many more votes than the loser task – n. a job for someone to do We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. 

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One President Resigns, Another Joins Facebook

  More than 30 black football players at the University of Missouri announced on Twitter that they would not play football until the university’s president resigned. The social media announcement lent support to a campus-wide movement against university president Tim Wolfe. Student protesters say Wolfe has not responded to months of incidents of racism on campus. On Monday morning, Wolfe announced he was stepping down. Just after his announcement, “University of Missouri,” “Missouri” and “Tim Wolfe” were the most-searched items in the United States on Google. On Twitter, #Mizzou -- the school’s nickname -- was trending worldwide. Other social media trends help tell the story of the weeks-long protests and unrest at the school. Hashtags like #ConcernedStudent1950  #MizzouHungerStrike took off on Twitter last week and into the weekend. #ConcernedStudent1950 refers the first year the University of Missouri admitted black students. Concerned Student 1950 is also an organization on campus that has been peacefully protesting for Wolfe to step down. #MizzouHungerStrike followed graduate student Jonathan Butler’s Facebook announcement that he was refusing to eat food until Wolfe stepped down. Butler ended his letter with #TheStruggleContinues. President Obama gets his own Facebook page You better send him your friend request quickly! U.S. President Barack Obama is now on Facebook. His first post included a subtitled video tour of his backyard -- also known as the White House lawn. He used the video to discuss his fight against climate change: “We’ve got to preserve this beautiful planet of ours for our kids and grandkids. And that means taking serious steps to address climate change once and for all.” In three hours, that post received 39,000 likes and over 8,300 comments. “Facebook, Barack Obama” also soared to the top 10 Google searches by Monday afternoon. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   incident - n. an unexpected and usually unpleasant thing that happens step down - phrasal verb. withdraw or resign from an important position or office subtitles - n. words that appear on the screen during a movie, video, or television show and that are translations of what the actors are saying

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November 9, 2015

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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