The Rattler (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 10, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 5, 1992 Page: 4 of 28
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COMMENTARY
Testing our schools
EDITORIAL
SGA has lost focus
TIMOTHY UHL
from its leaders.
EDITORIAL
Endowment, not tuition
EDITORIAL
Adviser
February 5,1992
The Rattler
Page 4
THE RATTLER STAFF
Non-smokers have rights, too
The University has jumped on the bandwagon of a current health
trend: smoker-bashing. In the name of protecting the rights of non-
smokers, the University has denied the rights of smokers.
The new University Center is but one example. This summer the
University will become completely smokeless. Many non-smokers will
rejoice at the new policy.
But in the new world order of trendy political correctness, the rights
of smokers have been incorrectly and very politically ignored.
Timothy D. Uhl
William G. Elliott
Lori Ann Sheff
Sonya Mora
Julie Rohmer
Karen Lee Johnson
Jennifer Lynn Peters
Mario M. Uribe III
Phil Levie
Becki David
Daniel Patrick Muniz
Julie Barylski
Shont Shaw
Elbert H. Esparza
Xochitl Mora
Valerie Lira
Dr. Elijah Akhahenda
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
News Editor
Assistant News Editor
Diamondback Editors
Sports Editor
Commentary Editor
Features Editor
Campus Life Editor
Law Editor
Copy Editor
Advertising Manager
Business Manager
Staff Assistants
The Rattler welcomes submission of material for publication, as well as letters to the editor,
with priority of publication given to member of the St. Mary's community. Letters are limited to
200 words or less. Submissions lengthier than 200 words will be considered guest columns.
The author's name and telephone number must accompany submission. The editor
reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, style, grammar, and spelling. Names will
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Only the editorials represent the views of the publication. All other items included on the
Commentary pages represent personal opinion.
“When teachers are held accountable to
the tests of basic skills, they will teach only
the basic skills," says Dizzinno. The nar-
row scope of instruction is not the teachers’
fault, it is only human nature to try to keep
one’s job.
As long as standardized tests are used to
evaluate our public schools, the instruc-
tion will focus on minimal material, thereby
leaving students highly deficient in skills
needed in college, i.e. critical thinking.
As tests are implemented for wider and
wider areas, the tests become easier. “The
broader the test, the more general the
material,” according to Dizzinno.
At the St. Mary’s E ducation Department,
students are continually drilled on the ob-
jectives of the Examination for Certifica-
tion of Teachers in Texas (ExCET).
Though St. Mary’s students have tradi-
tionally scored exceptionally well on the
ExCET, including a 90 percent passing
rate for Professional Development com-
pared to 84 percent state-wide, the depart-
ment remains unduly preoccupied with
the test.
This is fine, if one accepts the notion that
the test measures everything one needs to
know in order to be successful as a teacher.
But there is more that the department
could teach, if it was allowed. Yet, when it
is considered that the education depart-
ment must play by the rules in order to
deep its certification, one sees that it is not
the department's fault that its curriculum
is largely a product of the ExCET test.
The Texas system does not allow for
creative instruction. “A department’s cre-
dentials are held hostage by the TEA,” said
Dizzinno.
The problem is politicians, in an effort to
eradicate the problems of education, have
made a mistake.
There are no easy solutions to the prob-
lems in education. But it easy to see poor
solutions. Testing our teachers and stu-
dents is testing our educational strength.
In order to remain competitive in the ’90s, St. Mary’s has a number Mary’s Center for Academic Development,
of areas that need to be improved, including faculty salaries, student warnsofthesdangersofstandardizedtests.
services, an athletic center, etc. Money is necessary to accomplish
these goals.
But tuition money should not be the source.
With government financial aid diminishing, college is becoming
more and more difficult to finance.
With a tuition increase of nearly ten percent for this and the next
academic year, St. Mary’s may have priced itself out of the market for
certain students.
Many may look at the increases and calculate that at the current rate
tuition may be totally outrageous in four years. There is no indication
that their fears will not be realized.
An increased endowment may meet University demands.
The Rattler
Box 83, St. Mary's University
San Antonio, TX 78228-8583
phone (512)436-3401
FAX (512)436-3300
For whatever reason, whether it was low
salaries, poor education, or simply poor
minds, some teachers were inadequate.
Some bright politician came up with the
idea of implementing standardized tests to
test the abilities of teachers.
This decision, which instituted the
TECAT test in Texas, started a trend that
threatens the quality of Texas education.
Quickly politicians jumped on the band-
wagon and initiated tests for students en-
tering and exiting teacher education pro-
grams Minimum requirements were for-
mulated for students at each grade level.
Students are now given standardized tests
to evaluate those minimum requirements.
These tests, however, are not used to test
the students’ abilities. They are used
instead to monitor teachers' competencies.
Recall that a standardized test is one
given to a representative sample, then
scored appropriately. The test is always
administered in the same manner. Results
are compared with a norm group.
The tests are appropriate if used with
the appropriate norm group. With stan-
dardized tests, it is difficult to find an
appropriate norm group. To make the test
widely acceptable, it must focus on the
most basic skills.
The problem with the Texas system of
standardized tests is that the minimum
requirements drive the curriculum.
Dr. Gerry Dizinno, the director of St.
■ I
"6
"<z
At the Jan. 28 Student Government Association meeting, Presi-
dent Rudy Villarreal lamented last fall’s lack of a legislative
agenda. In trying to silence SGA critics, who wonder what, if
anything, the SGA has or is trying to accomplish, Mr. Villarreal
proposed an “ambitious" agenda for this spring.
This agenda includes studying whether to totally overhaul the
current constitution or scrapping the current “presidential” system
in favor of a parliamentary system. According to Mr. Villarreal the
overhaul would include pages and pages of legislation.
Mr. Villarreal's call for constitutional reform comes barely one
year after his push for split chambers of the House and Senate.
That reform was instituted.
He could not elaborate on the parliamentary system, only saying
it would abolish the presidency and that weekly meetings would no
longer be necessary.
Weekly meetings are already unnecessary if SGA insists on
focusing on itself. With the flurry of resignations, constitutional
challenges, decisions on who to admit and not to admit, and the
never-ending question of absences, the SGA has devoted its
energy unto itself.
The problem is not the constitution, or even the form of govern-
ment.
The problem is the focus, and focus for a government emanates
in the early’80s,
when Texas’ edu-
cational deficien-
cies became glar-
ingly apparent,
lawmakers took
steps to alleviate
the problem.
Some, appropri-
ately so, blamed
the teachers.
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St. Mary's University (San Antonio, Tex.). The Rattler (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 10, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 5, 1992, newspaper, February 5, 1992; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1518756/m1/4/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting St. Mary's University Louis J. Blume Library.