New York City Schools Ban On Words For Standardized Tests Revoked

NEW YORK — New York City's Department of Education has decided to drop its list of words to avoid on school assessment tests.

Companies that want to come up with school tests used to measure student progress were being advised to stay away from a range of topics in the questions they put together. On the list of subjects to avoid were creatures from outer space, junk food, vermin and birthdays.

The Department of Education had said the list was a recommendation, not a ban, and was meant to make sure tests don't contain any biases or subjects that could distract the students.

The department on Monday released a statement saying it will "continue to advise companies to be sensitive to student backgrounds." It says the decision to drop the list of words was made after "the reaction from parents."

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Comments

[Bigrcube]

12:02 PM on 04/06/2012

How do creatures from outer space, junk food, vermin and birthdays (just to name a few) cause 'biases' or become subjects that would 'distract' students on a test?!

[Bigrcube]

11:59 AM on 04/06/2012

"Sensitive to students backgrounds?" If they are coddled and shielded so much in school, what happens when they enter the work force and partake in a REAL world setting? Will EVERYONE be SO sensitive ALL the time then?!?!

[VA Jill]

11:29 AM on 04/04/2012

Nobody likes being laughed at, and I guess the NYC powers that be don't either.

[Politically incorrect 7]

07:13 AM on 04/04/2012

A trip to the Dinosaur Exhibit at the Museum of Natural History has already been cancelled at my school.

[DSevere]

12:06 AM on 04/04/2012

This is what the powers that be in our school systems are arguing about? And they wonder why so many other countries are kicking our butt education-wise....

[Student Commodities]

02:37 AM on 04/04/2012

But people from around the world go to the US to get their education because it is the best in the world. And now you're saying it isn't.

[DSevere]

02:46 AM on 04/04/2012

Google "education U.S. vs. Asia" or "education U.S. vs. Europe" and read for a while. Very interesting.

[Madim]

04:53 AM on 04/04/2012

Actually, US education is one of the worst in civilized countries, compared to Europe and Asia. Where did you get your information ?

[maxwelldog]

11:37 PM on 04/03/2012

creatures from outer space, junk food, vermin and birthdays.
The dinosaur from Mars landed near the grocery store, but went to the fast food joint next door only to see bugs climbing over all the birthday cakes.

[bxgrrl]

09:43 PM on 04/03/2012

Rare Victory for Common Sense! News at 11.

[shupper]

06:00 PM on 04/03/2012

I am very surprised to hear they were able to make this sensible decision with so many absurd special interest groups clamoring for these restrictions.

[felide]

05:49 PM on 04/03/2012

i saw that same story on the news too. O.K , they don't want to teach kid's about dinosaurs anymore ? for one thing, if the teachers are going to get all religious and decide they never existed then at least change the story enough to make it sound like god buries the giant bones in the ground for scientists to learn from. and kids like dinosaurs . when i was in elementerary school they took us to the museum in the city and the theater to see the land before time. i guess these days we are taught earlier and earlier what is blasphemy and what is educational. even if it means other people decide for yuou.

[teahag]

01:10 PM on 04/03/2012

the teatrills here vying f0r the penny haven't even bothered to or are incapable of reading the article.

[Le Nwwaert]

01:07 PM on 04/03/2012

Liberals,destroying the NYC public schools for the last 40 years.

[S Augustyn]

02:10 PM on 04/03/2012

That was actually a conservative motion, not liberal.

[stopnlisten]

03:44 PM on 04/03/2012

LOL! Good one.

[ednormanj]

12:27 PM on 04/03/2012

The DOE trumpets the most mundane things on their web site, like jumpropes for students to implore them to not "skip" school. This reversal? no mention. Like most of the city communication is by press release and every word or action is massaged. Imagine the respect they would get if there was a big announcement: "Boy, we really blew that one! and now we are changing"

[Venicelady]

08:32 PM on 04/03/2012

Will never happen. Don'cha know? Mayor Mike and his puppets, in this case, Dennis Walcott, NEVER make mistakes.....

[ozubresson]

12:10 PM on 04/03/2012

Orwell said the best way to control people is to limit their language. If you take language away from people, you also take away their thoughts, because they cannot think what they cannot speak, and you have thus controlled them and made them your puppet. This is a dictator's wet dream.

[Venicelady]

08:34 PM on 04/03/2012

Hmmmmm, wonder if the esteemed NYCDOE Chancellor and his boss, Mayor Mike, have READ this book?

[Ben Wilson]

11:07 AM on 04/03/2012

Yeah it makes sense to drop them. You knows there's something of a point somewhere in all this word policing, but the education system has for more important things to deal with. It's like putting on the final touches to your make-up before having a shower.

[Ellisha Gray]

10:38 AM on 04/03/2012

Good. Unfortunately probably only a response to public pressure, rather than people actually rethinking things and realizing how silly the ban was, but good nonetheless.