CSAP Testing in Colorado – Is Proficiency Enough?
By Guest Blogger Debbie Leibold
Recently, I ran across an editorial in the Denver Post that was written by a former English teacher. I am also a former high school English teacher, so I was intrigued when I saw the title of the article – “O CSAP! MY CSAP!” The article discussed one of my favorite films, “Dead Poets Society,” and used the contrasting teaching styles of Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) and Mr. McAllister (the old Latin professor) to make a point about our education system and one of its unintended effects on our students.
In the film, Mr. Keating is a teacher who inspires his students and helps them develop a love of learning. He creates lessons that are relevant to his students, teaches them to make the most of what they’ve been given, and encourages them to “Seize the Day!” Mr. McAllister teaches his students to memorize Latin verbs and vocabulary and drills his students repeatedly. He believes students succeed if they can recite back what they have been taught.
The editorial’s author made the point that our current educational system is working
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