By Ben Joravsky
But the tide of criticism has been rising lately, flooding community groups and congressional aides. It’s a new variation on the common lament about the mindlessness and meaninglessness of standardized testing.
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The N-400 is supposed to weed out criminals, subversives, and deviants. The section labeled “additional eligibility factors” asks applicants: “Have you ever: a. been a habitual drunkard? b. advocated or practiced polygamy? c. been a prostitute or procured anyone for prostitution? d. knowingly and for gain helped any alien to enter the U.S. illegally? e. been an illicit trafficker in narcotic drugs or marijuana?”
On the day of the test, applicants report to an INS office and meet with an “adjudicator” who asks 10 questions from a list of 100. “All of the groups that work with immigrants and refugees have the questions,” says Asis. “We’re encouraged to have our students literally memorize the questions and the answers.”
The final portion of the test requires applicants to show some proficiency in English by writing several sentences (such as “America is the home of the free”) dictated by the adjudicators.
As for the test itself, what’s wrong with forcing immigrants to know the meaning of symbols such as our flag and a few basic facts about our history and government? If some of the information seems arbitrary, if the test takers immediately forget what they’ve learned, well, that happens with all tests.
This fight began months ago when the board and schools CEO Paul Vallas required freshmen and sophomores to take the Chicago Academic Standards Examinations (CASE), a standardized exam intended to hold teachers and students accountable for the classroom lessons they’re supposed to teach or learn. From the start CASE was criticized by teachers and students as a waste of time. To substantiate these accusations, Substance, the maverick newspaper Schmidt edits, printed a portion of the exam in its January/February issue.
