āThereās something wrong with my brain.ā
The child was 10 years old. His ears were red, his cry muffled in his pillow. He had just failed his third District Common Assessment (DCA) on his Chromebook. He was in the fourth grade, and his teachers were determined to get him ready for the state test at the end of the year.
kAm%96:C :?E6?E:@?D H6C6 F?56CDE2?523=6] x? 2? pāu 244@F?E23:=:EJ >@56=[ E62496CD[ AC:?4:A2=D[ 2?5 DFA6C:?E6?56?ED @7E6? E2<6 24E:@?D E96J 36=:6G6 2C6 ?646DD2CJ E@ 2G@:5 C646:G:?8 2 =@H6C C2E:?8] %96 244@F?E23:=:EJ >@56= 42? 7@C46 :?DECF4E:@?2= AC24E:46D E92E 24EF2==J 92C> E96 G6CJ 49:=5C6? :E :D >62?E E@ D6CG6]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE CF=6 @7 244@F?E23:=:EJ D9@F=5 36 E@ 5@ ?@ 92C>]k^Am
kAmu@C >6[ E9:D :D A6CD@?2=] %92E 49:=5 4CJ:?8 :? 9:D 365 H2D >J D@?] w6 92D 5JD=6I:2] ~?6 :? 7:G6 49:=5C6? 92D D@>6 7@C> @7 5JD=6I:2] }:?6EJ A6C46?E @7 2== 49:=5C6? H:E9 =62C?:?8 5:D23:=:E:6D D92C6 E96 D2>6 C625:?8 492==6?86D]k^Am
kAmsJD=6I:2 :D 2 3C2:?\32D65 5:776C6?46 :? 9@H =2?8F286 :D AC@46DD65] xE :D 96C65:E2CJ[ @7E6? CF??:?8 :? 72>:=:6D[ 2?5 :E 27764ED 9@H A6@A=6 C64@8?:K6[ 564@56[ 2?5 4@??64E D@F?5D H:E9 =6EE6CD 2?5 H@C5D]k^Am
kAmsJD=6I:2 :D ?@E 2 D:8? @7 =@H :?E6==:86?46] x? 724E[ >2?J A6@A=6 H:E9 5JD=6I:2 2C6 G6CJ 4C62E:G6 AC@3=6>\D@=G6CD H9@ DF44665 :? 7:6=5D C2?8:?8 7C@> D4:6?46 2?5 3FD:?6DD E@ E96 2CED] p C6>2C<23=6 ?F>36C @7 6?EC6AC6?6FCD 2=D@ 92G6 5JD=6I:2] xE C6AC6D6?ED 2 5:776C6?E H2J @7 =62C?:?8 2?5 E9:?<:?8[ ?@E 2 =24< @7 23:=:EJ] sJD=6I:2 :D ?@E 42FD65 3J =2K:?6DD @C =24< @7 677@CE] ~? E96 4@?EC2CJ[ E9@D6 H9@ =:G6 H:E9 :E @7E6? H@C< EH:46 2D 92C5 2D E96:C A66CD E@ 249:6G6 E96 D2>6 C6DF=ED]k^Am
kAm|J H:76 2?5 x 2C6 ;FDE =:<6 2?J @E96C A2C6?ED @7 2 49:=5 H:E9 5JD=6I:2] pE 7:CDE[ H6 5:5?āE F?56CDE2?5 H9J @FC D@? 925 DF49 5:77:4F=EJ H:E9 DE2?52C5:K65 E6DED[ H9J DA6==:?8 H2D D@ 92C5 7@C 9:>[ @C H9J 96 5:5?āE 6?;@J C625:?8 =:<6 @E96C 49:=5C6?] (6 H6?E E9C@F89 E96 82>FE @7 H@?56C:?8 :7 H6 925 5@?6 D@>6E9:?8 HC@?8] %96? H6 >6E E96 <:?5 2?5 42C:?8 AC@76DD:@?2=D 2E E96 #68:@?2= #6923 r6?E6C 96C6 :? %FA6=@[ 2?5 E96J 96=A65 FD F?56CDE2?5 H92E @FC D@? H2D 6IA6C:6?4:?8 2?5 9:D F?:BF6 =62C?:?8 DEJ=6]k^Am
kAm%96 #68:@?2= #6923 r6?E6C AC@G:565 2 5:28?@D:D @7 5JD=6I:2] w2G:?8 2 4=62C F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 E96 AC@3=6> ā 2?5 8:G:?8 :E 2 ?2>6 ā @A6?65 E96 5@@C 7@C FD E@ 368:? D62C49:?8 7@C C62= D@=FE:@?D] %96J 96=A65 FD C62=:K6 E92E @FC D@? C6BF:C6D DECF4EFC65 =:E6C24J :?DECF4E:@?[ DF49 2D E96 ~CE@?āv:==:?892> 2AAC@249] (6 2=D@ =62C?65 E92E E649?@=@8:42= E@@=D[ DF49 2D E6IE\E@\DA6649 2?5 2F5:@3@@<D[ 42? 96=A =6G6= E96 A=2J:?8 7:6=5]k^Am
kAm|@DE :>A@CE2?E=J[ H6 C62=:K65 E92E H6 >FDE :?G6DE :? 9:D 4@?7:56?46] x? 2? 65F42E:@?2= >@56= E92E @7E6? 6>A92D:K6D H62<?6DD6D[ H6 >FDE 36 :?E6?E:@?2= 23@FE 46=63C2E:?8 2?5 3F:=5:?8 @? 9:D DEC6?8E9D]k^Am
kAm%96 %FA6=@ !F3=:4 $49@@= s:DEC:4E 566A=J G2=F6D @FC A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 E96 #68:@?2= #6923 r6?E6C] !C@G:5:?8 9:89\BF2=:EJ D6CG:46D 7@C DEF56?ED H:E9 5JD=6I:2 :D @?6 @7 @FC 9:896DE AC:@C:E:6D] rFCC6?E=J[ ag @7 @FC E62496CD 2C6 6?82865 :? DA64:2=:K65 EC2:?:?8 @776C65 E9C@F89 E96 |:DD:DD:AA: s6A2CE>6?E @7 t5F42E:@?[ 6?DFC:?8 E92E >@C6 @7 @FC DEF56?ED H:== 36?67:E 7C@> 6G:56?46\32D65 :?DECF4E:@?2= DFAA@CE] (6 2C6 4@>>:EE65 E@ 6IA2?5:?8 @FC E62> H:E9 255:E:@?2= 5JD=6I:2 E96C2A:DED]k^Am
kAm%@ E96 A2C6?ED @7 49:=5C6? H:E9 5JD=6I:2i !=62D6 5@ ?@E =@D6 9@A6] (:E9 E96 AC@A6C DFAA@CE 7C@> E62496CD 2?5 E96 DE625J =@G6 @7 72>:=J[ 49:=5C6? H:E9 5JD=6I:2 42? E9C:G6] ~FC D@? 92D 5@?6 G6CJ H6== 2D 96 92D AC@8C6DD65 E9C@F89 E96 %FA6=@ !F3=:4 $49@@= s:DEC:4E] %@52J[ 96 :D 2 |:55=6 r@==686 DEF56?E H:E9 2 b]d 8C256 A@:?E 2G6C286] &A@? 8C25F2E:?8 7C@> 9:89 D49@@= E9:D J62C[ 96 A=2?D E@ DEF5J x?5FDEC:2= t=64EC:4:EJ 2E xrr] |J H:76 2?5 x 2C6 7@C6G6C 8C2E67F= E@ 9:D 565:42E65 E62496CD[ 4@>A2DD:@?2E6 4@F?D6=@CD[ 2?5 E96 AC@76DD:@?2=D 2E E96 #68:@?2= #6923 r6?E6C H9@ 96=A65 8F:56 9:D ;@FC?6J]k^Am
kAmr92C24E6C :? =:76 :D ?@E 567:?65 3J H92E H6 364@>6[ 3FE 3J H92E H6 @G6C4@>6] }@?6 @E96C E92? E96 8C62E (@C=5 (2C xx 86?6C2=[ v6@C86 $] !2EE@?[ DECF88=65 H:E9 5JD=6I:2] pD 2 49:=5[ 96 925 8C62E 5:77:4F=EJ =62C?:?8 E@ C625 2?5 HC:E6] %@52J[ 2 DE2EF6 @7 v6?6C2= !2EE@? DE2?5D @? E96 A2C256 8C@F?5 2E (6DE !@:?E[ DFCC@F?565 3J E96 p4256>JāD @E96C =686?52CJ 8C25F2E6D] w:D :D E96 @?=J DE2EF6 A@:?E65 E@H2C5 E96 r256E {:3C2CJ ā 2 C64@8?:E:@? @7 E96 4@F?E=6DD 9@FCD 96 DA6?E E96C6[ H@C<:?8 92C56C E92? 2?J @7 9:D 4=2DD>2E6D E@ <66A A246] %92E DE2EF6 DE2?5D 2D 2 DJ>3@= @7 56E6C>:?2E:@? 2?5 A6CD:DE6?46[ 2?5 2D 2 =2DE:?8 6I2>A=6 E92E ECF6 DF446DD 4@>6D @?=J E9C@F89 C6=6?E=6DD 677@CE]k^Am
