Add this to the file of incredibly bizarre questions asked by educators. If it's not cannibals on math problems or whether a pineapple can race, it's... asking NJ third-graders to reveal a secret? That's what a standardized essay prompt asked of the kids—and why the secret was difficult to keep— and some parents are furious.
Father Richard Goldberg told the Asbury Park Press that his twin 9-year-old sons told him about the question after the test on Tuesday, "That is an outrageous question and totally inappropriate to ask school children. What right does the education system have to put children in such a difficult position? That was not supposed (to be) the purpose of composition writing." He added, "I guarantee you some children will be writing things family members and parents would have rather not revealed to the state. They want to answer a question; they don’t want to fail. I think somebody should be held accountable for putting children in a difficult position in the middle of a test."
According to the Star-Ledger, the NJ Department of Education "said there was no school or district-wide breach of test security" and said that the test was written by a testing expert, reviewed by a content specialist and finally a panel of teachers reads it: "After this round of state testing is complete, this and other field questions will be reviewed for fairness, grade-appropriateness and gender biases among other factors, Barra said. If this or other questions are determined to be inappropriate, they will be removed from future tests."
One NJ.com commenter put it well, "Sounds like a standard question on a North Korean exam. Hey kids, extra credit awarded for telling secrets about other family members too!"
