by BJ Benson
I'm not going to lie - all this talk of "erasing parties" and teachers cheating to help students pass state-mandated tests is a bit alarming. I'm a stones-throw away from having an elementary schooler (OK, so he's only 1 right now), and I'd much rather my child learn the material than have his teacher change his test answers. Anyone with me on this? Thought so.
I must ask this question, however... Why is the cheating happening in the first place? Any thoughts? Perhaps some teachers feel they are out of options or maybe the incentives for high test scores are a little too tempting. Whatever the answer may be, it certainly isn't helping the students more than it is hindering them.
Well, as a member of the marketing department at ABC, one of my jobs is to meet teachers at a variety of conferences and spread the word about how excellent our materials are. In fact, they're so great that there is no reason for a teacher, nor student, to cheat when they use our books or digital resources. The icing on the cake? Not only are we student and teacher friendly, we're also budget friendly.
So, resist the temptation and pack those erasers away! Here's how I think our materials can help educators and students:
1. Our materials are tailored to your state. Yes, you heard right. No need to sift through thick books full of distracting pictures and irrelevant information. Our materials focus on your state education board's standards and objectives.
2. No "tips or tricks" here - we actually help build skills. Repeat after me: 3 full-length tests, step-by-step instruction, interactive graphics, concrete explanations. Need I say more? Well, yes. For a sneak peek at how awesome our Common Core books are, click here.
3. The content is up to date. We don't copy-paste from one edition to the next. Instead, we use the most current standards. Example: Head to our website to check out a preview of our Preparing for the Tennessee Writing Assessment for the 11th Grade, just recently revised in July. Any Minnesotans?? Check out our MCA-III math materials. In fact, after you're done reading this blog, go to our website, register for a free account, and preview ANY book you're interested in.
4. Content is easy to understand. Regardless of what grade, level, or subject you teach (ESOL, remedial, summer school, special ed, etc), our materials are effective and are guaranteed to work. If you don't believe me, preview one of our books! I dare you... FYI, Georgians, our GA ELA materials were adopted. Oh, and yours, too, Oklahomans.
In a nutshell, our materials are made not only with the students in mind, but the educators, too. Yes, it's okay to jump up, celebrate, and have "eraser burning" parties. Any other suggestions on cheating prevention? Let's hope we don't hear anymore about these scandals.
I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at upcoming conferences! A big hello to those who stopped by my booth at the Mid South Technology Conference in Memphis last month.
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