- By Jim Evans
- Entertainment
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SMART TALK
by Dr. Shirley Glibb
CURVE THE SCORE: In a recent issue of the Underbelly Prerecorder, our Lengua Loco County Superintendent of Schools was talking about the standardized tests the kids have to spend most of their time preparing for, thanks to the No Teacher Left Ahead government edicts.
"Some years, most of the kids score really low, so we curve the scores up so a realistic proportion can pass," he said.
Just to make sure of what I'm about to say, I consulted Mr. Tudor A. Lott, math teacher at Wesson High School, here in Underbelly, Texas.
"Aaargh!" began Mr. Lott. "That's not a curve; that's inflating all grades! Sorry. I've been so busy compiling data for the state and the feds that I can't keep up with my students' homework or plan lessons well. Give me a minute, would you?"
He collected his thoughts and began. "When you grade on a curve, you use basic statistical methods to process all the scores with a few formulas. The effect is that top scores may increase by very little; but gradually, more points may be added as scores drop. Sometimes, points added may decrease again, and by the lowest score, maybe nothing is added. You don't know until you apply the algebra. That's why it's called a curve: No set number gets added to everybody's score. That would simply be grade inflation."
I thought so. Curving up and curving down are terms that give away the speaker as ignorant thanks to with poor teacher training, little or no classroom experience, or both. Or maybe mathphobia.