Education

N.J. Axes Test Question Requiring 3rd Graders to Reveal a Personal Secret

New Jersey Standardized Test Cancels Secret QuestionTRENTON, N.J. (The Blaze/AP) — State education officials will no longer use a standardized test question that asked third-graders to reveal a secret and write about why it was difficult to keep.

The question appeared on the writing portion of some versions of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge given to third-graders this past week. And it drew criticism from some parents, who thought it was inappropriate.

The blog Hot Air, for example, asked what school officials would do if “children do reveal real secrets—and closely guarded ones at that.” Secrets that might be deemed unacceptable by the school.

And then there’s the issue that the question could skew test results. Bob Schaeffer, public education director of Fair Test, which advocates for transparent standardized tests, explains.

“What if the deep dark secret is molestation, or that your parents are about to get divorced? What kind of mind set is a child left with for the rest of the exam?” he told NJ.com. “This kind of serious error can make standardized tests even less useful than they normally are.”

The state Department of Education said the question was reviewed and approved by it and a panel of teachers. It said Friday the question was only being tried out and would not count in the students’ scores.

But after further review, Department of Education spokesman Justin Barra said, the question won’t be included in future tests.

“We’ve looked at this question in light of concerns raised by parents, and it is clear that this is not an appropriate question for a state test,” Barra said, adding that about 4,000 students in 15 districts had the question.

Marlboro dentist Richard Goldberg was among the parents who had raised concerns about the question.

Goldberg said he was appalled when he asked his twin 9-year-old sons about the standardized tests they were taking and they told him about the question. He said he felt it ventured into topics that would best be kept quiet and it could raise some serious complications, so he wasn’t surprised to hear the state decided to eliminate it from future tests.

“I got a lot of feedback from parents who also were outraged” about the matter, Goldberg told Neptune’s the Asbury Park Press newspaper. “All of a sudden now you have thousands and thousands of children possibly revealing things that now these people have to report, when the purpose of the exam was to see what the children’s critical reading skills were.”

Comments (47)

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  • ruffnex
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:43am

    Answer to all questions: NOYB…. I fear for our children, our country and our future. God help us!

    Report Post »  
    • chingachgook
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 2:11pm

      This is why home schooling is growing. I expect the government to attack home schoolers next. They need the bodies and minds of our children for their brainwashing to continue.

      Report Post »  
    • claymoremacm
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 3:52pm

      sounds similar to the Doctor wants the Parent out of the room,now the school wants to pry into the family unit,sounds like 1984,little brown shirt perpping by the union ****** and Commie Doctors

      Report Post » claymoremacm  
    • Gumbercules
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 4:08pm

      Imagine all of those students who ‘make-up’ answers. They could be held liable for a false answer, when the only thing you should be held liable for on a test is your performance.

      Report Post » Gumbercules  
  • Redglen
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:39am

    This same question was asked to MY third grade son’s class on a hand out of many questions four years ago in NE Pa . I went to school and told the teacher and principal that this is the type of question pedophyles ask to gain power over children. They eventually tore all the papers up. She had also asked for info about their parents (like where they were born, age etc.)

    Report Post »  
  • deeberj
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:36am

    Makes me ashamed of living in NJ.

    The NEA and NJEA are run by leftists. My parents, who were teachers, HATED being FORCED into being a member. They saw what was going on and could only do their small part in their own classrooms, the best they could considering all the rules regarding core curriculum.

    Report Post » deeberj  
  • forthepeople
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:28am

    Just ‘ the get a life’rs ‘ looking for a life . glad I’m not them !

    Report Post » forthepeople  
  • CulperGang
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:22am

    Let me see here, you have the:
    TSA pushing tyranny
    IRS pushing tyranny
    the school officials pushing tyranny
    senate/congress pushing tyranny

    Are Americans this dumbed down??? OR this nasty to want to hurt other Americans????

    Report Post » CulperGang  
  • 1WhoQuestions
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:28am

    I’m glad it was removed but how did the question get on their in the first place? Sounds like the state is slowly starting to convince kids to turn in their parents. 1984 here we come.

    Report Post »  
    • muffythetuffy
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:13am

      Many children have already answered the questions while tested last week. Its too late because the testing is over and the government has the information it wanted.

      Report Post »  
  • dnewton
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:23am

    The biggest problem with this is the probability that the child would have an unfounded fear or secret based on imperfect memory or knowledge. My step son always “knew” that his mother has Nazi diamonds that came home with his grandfather after WWII. It is funny now since his grandfather was a prisoner of war. The story was confabulated with fragments of gossip about stolen diamonds in Chicago. Then there are the ones that make things up just to get through the test faster. Decades of deviation from the prime motivation of teaching basics and getting children ready for the real world instead of the perfect world that will be eventually created by secular man continues to plague this country. The answered questions would be great for research into a Steven King thriller or even as the premise of a Steven King Thriller. The only problem is that when the state gets involved with your life, don’t expect anything good to come out of it, especially if they are wrong. What does the school do with knowledge of a secret stack of bug out money, food, illegal fire arms like a 410 pistol that can not be registered but is still a treasured hand-me-down? There is a definite sense of mission creep in the teaching profession.

    Report Post »  
  • briankraner
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:13am

    Thank you Randy !!!

    Report Post »  
  • Soul Leister
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:05am

    I wonder how many secrets included: “my parents think our teachers suck but don’t want me to say anything to avoid retaliation”.

    Report Post » Soul Leister  
  • Soul Leister
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:03am

    The democrats are data mining for pearls to use against future candidates… if only they had started back when Romney was in elementary school.

    Report Post » Soul Leister  
    • 208hendrix2020
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:52am

      no make that when obama was in school… oh wait that was in kenya, nevermind.

      Report Post »  
  • Free2speakRN
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:57am

    These people are no more than conniving Pigs. No shame. They roll in and eat anything for power.

    I hope they are forced out of their positions. Will they be? Hardly!

    Swine in power. Great!

    Report Post »  
  • HeisIAM
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:56am

    Just to be clear, as a public school teacher I do not get to write the test or see my student’s responses, that is illegal. The NEA is purely left, but the k12 teachers are a healthy mix in this country.

    Report Post »  
  • Mr Sanders
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:51am

    Hmm…. I wonder how it got there in the first place?

    Education…. still trying to be a part of ‘the family’.

    Report Post » Mr Sanders  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:47am

    Kinda reminds me of confession, when I was in Catholic school……a little creepy, to say the least !

    Report Post »  
    • Soul Leister
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 9:01am

      To this day our father (living in denial) does not understand why our mother refused to let any of her children become alterboys… no matter how many times the preists would ask for us (eventually we became too old for them and they stopped asking… oddly, they never asked for our sisters… not so odd when one considers it in context).

      Report Post » Soul Leister  
  • randy
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:40am

    Question #1 reveal a secret and write about why it was difficult to keep.

    Question #2 Do you parents or anyone you know go to church?
    If yes, please provide names and addresses.

    Question #3 Are the Christians?

    Question #4 Are your Parents?
    A. Mommy and Daddy.
    B. Mommy and Mommy.
    C. Daddy and Daddy.
    D. None of the above.

    Question #5
    Do your Parents or anyone you know own a weapon?
    If yes, please provide names and addresses.

    Question #6
    Do your Parents or anyone you know believe in
    A. Global Warning
    B, Global Cooling
    C, All of the above
    D. None of the above

    Question #7
    Do your parents or anyone you know have large sums of cash?
    If yes, please provide names and addresses.

    Question #8
    Do your parents or anyone you know watch Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh?
    If yes, please provide names and addresses.

    Question #9
    Do your parents or anyone you know buy you:
    A. Candy
    B. Happy Meals
    C. Donuts
    D. Anything with salt or sugar

    Question #10
    Did your parents Vote for our dear leader Barack Hussein Obama?
    If no, please provide names and addresses.

    This concludes the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge.
    If when you return home this afternoon, you find your parents missing,
    please come back to school so we can fill your head with more, errrrr,
    I mean so we can take care of you.

    randy  
    • so3
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:34am

      That’s not too far from the truth. My wife was asked on a medical questionnaire if we owned any guns and I told her to lie and say no. Healthcare may be the next nudge on guns.

      They ask too many, too personal questions for there not to be something nefarious going on.

      Report Post »  
    • EP46
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:35am

      Love it ! We need a laugh !

      Report Post »  
  • staythecourse
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:35am

    @feliciajewel. Dont‘ be surprised that it has been removed because it’s removal means nothing. Part of the new regulations established by HHS (thru obamacare) is that every single child will be required to have an annual mental health exam to “catch problems before they become problems”. Kids will be telling these mental health “counselors” all sorts of things…you know…sort of like how in Florida docs were to ask if there were guns in the house…

    These counselors will be part of the newly established “medical homes” that will be in every school.

    And parents…forget about getting information on what is said. UN Rights of the Child rules. (I have been to the “future” and seen what happens when the state decides it is in the “interests of THE ”child”" to be removed from the home. More such “home invasions” will be happening).

    Report Post »  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:47am

      Where did you get your info? I would like to read up on this.

      Report Post » 4xeverything  
    • deeberj
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 10:32am

      go read the Obama care info. It’s in there what they want to do in schools.

      Report Post » deeberj  
  • Soul Leister
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:31am

    What if the child reveals their parents are ILLEGAL ALIENS… unless it is reported to police (just like they would no doubt do for molesters… unless the molesters were their teachers)… isn’t the school then aiding and abetting.

    …perhaps this question was the work of a serial molester at the school, and they were cruely testing their victims to make sure they stayed silent… or else the thing they said they would do if anyone finds out will happen?

    Report Post » Soul Leister  
    • Soul Leister
      Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:33am

      … I didn’t use your name Ms Obama, please don’t hurt my little sister too.

      Report Post » Soul Leister  
  • mcgrawactor1
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:27am

    Wouldn’t these teachers supposedly be obligated to look into any disturbing information gathered by this question? The answer is yes.

    Report Post » mcgrawactor1  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:09am

    Awnser

    ” my third grade teacher had his hands down my pants. ”

    He said there was nothing they could do to him, he has tenure.

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • Ron Staiger
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 7:59am

    Just another reason why New Jersey teachers should take a pay CUT!

    Report Post »  
  • FeliciaJewel
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 7:57am

    I am not surprised at all by this article, I am surprised that the question will no longer be on the test. Common Sense prevails.

    Report Post » FeliciaJewel  
  • cassandra
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 7:53am

    2nd question are you a Christian

    Report Post »  
  • yougottabekidding
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 7:47am

    A panel of teachers approved it,
    WOW, suprise, surprise, surprise!
    Biggest socialist organization in our country, teachers unions!

    Report Post »  
  • RepubliCorp
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 7:35am

    Adolf is alive and well

    Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • EP46
    Posted on May 14, 2012 at 7:33am

    Hitler would be so proud. Next question…tell us a secret about your neighbor…

    Report Post »  
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