The Coaches Corner: Another View of March Madness
Written by Joe Meade
For college basketball fanatics “March Madness” is the NCAA’s version the most exciting three weeks of basketball hoopla on the planet. Bracketology has become the newest word in the dictionary and the sports world becomes obsessed with picking the winner of the 65 team field. The NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament attracts more attention from people of all walks of life. From casual fans to college basketball gurus, March brings us together to enjoy the passion that only college kids possess when playing or rooting for their school team.
As much as I enjoy the delights of watching basketball all day long during The March to the Final Four, I want to talk about another version of March Madness that has made its way into our education system. Teachers in Connecticut have their own feelings about March that reflects the residual effects of “No Child Left Behind” or in educators’ terms “No Teacher Left Standing?” I’m talking about the state testing procedures that have become a major focus of our state education system. The CMT’s and the CAPT testing that occurs in March every year is a stressful and difficult challenge that students and teachers take on in school and parents deal with at home.
Unfortunately for many, state testing is a mystery and parents are hard pressed to understand what the tests measure and how they can prepare their children to do their best. Some school districts have spent a great deal of time and energy trying to educate parents on the nuts and bolts of state testing. Of course their efforts are limited, for the most part, they include only those who participate in the parent-teacher association meetings or infrequent information sessions that occur.
Aside from making sure that our children get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast during this month long test marathon, what else can parents do to give their kids the best shot at performing well? Before I share what I feel is useful information, first let me say that we must remember that as parents we are the primary educators of our children. That being said, I strongly condone researching the information on state testing and finding out all you can about strategies and assessment policies that are being used to evaluate our children. The great thing about living in the age of information is that it is much easier to access important information on any topic. The bad thing is that there’s no excuse not to know what is going on with your child’s education from curriculum to assessment and everything in between. Education has truly become a triangular partnership between parents, teachers and students. Everyone must do their part. The information is available, but the burden of finding it and using it falls on us.
There are a couple of resources that I discovered while researching this topic that I thought were on point. For parents of elementary and middle school students, check out the following link to a great article on understanding the CMT’s: http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Understanding_Childs/. The article explains the three components of the CMT’s – Reading, Writing and Math – and how they are scored. It includes some great information that will allow you to help your child prepare.
For parents of high school students I recommend the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Academic_Performance_Test. It provides an excellent breakdown of the CAPT tests in laymen’s terms, explaining the four disciplines that are measured as well as the interdisciplinary assessments. The piece also contains the link to the Connecticut State Department of Education: http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/site/default.asp.
It is my wish that by sharing this piece I have taken some mystery out of “March Madness” for parents who feel left in the dark regarding state testing. It is also my hope that everyone will be able to navigate the upcoming month with the confidence to assist your children in preparing for their future. As a student, I was never a big fan of homework. But as a teacher, I have come to appreciate the value of a well designed assignment to challenge my students. Your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to educate yourself first and pass it on to your most prized possessions. They will benefit from your hard work and repay you a thousand times over. Remember, information is power, so pass it on. By the way, I like Kansas beating Kentucky in the men’s NCAA finals. Sorry Husky fans, but the Lady Huskies are only a lock-in in the women’s bracket. However, if you did your homework, you already knew that. Enjoy the Madness!
Joe, a retired NYC Transit Police Officer, now co-owns Milford Pedicab. In addition, he has spent the last 20 years coaching basketball at both the high school and college levels and is the founder of the Hoopskills Basketball Clinic where he enjoys teaching young people about the values of sportsmanship, teamwork and the quality of effort. Currently, Joe coaches the boy’s basketball team at Jonathan Law High School in Milford. He is married to his beautiful wife Soledad and has 3 children, Isabela, Soledad and Joey III.
