My kids have spent the last three weeks trapped in a
stifling cage lined with bubble sheets and number two pencils.
Week one, they had three days of state English/language arts
assessment tests.
Week two, they had three days of state math assessment tests.
Week three, they had two days of another standardized test
that is similar to the state assessments.
The worst part is, they’re not complaining. They’ve just accepted insipid,
monotonous test taking as a necessary part of life, like death and taxes. So they stoically and obediently head
off to school for another joyless day of boring and useless tests because the
bureaucrats in Washington think this is a grand idea.
But I’m not taking it as well. So to vent my frustration, I’ve compiled a list of reasons
why I oppose the recent test-taking marathon:
1. Standardized tests
waste time. Education experts agree that standardized multiple-choice tests
are not a valid measure of a student’s knowledge or skills. They are certainly
not indicative of a teacher’s abilities or a school’s success. Even if
standardized tests accurately reflected a student’s competency, they are still
not a valid measure of teacher quality because many other factors affect
student performance.
2. Standardized tests
divert time from meaningful and enriching educational activities. For example, middle school students in
my school district missed out on a dynamic program that teaches American
history through experiential learning methods because testing dominated the
spring calendar. The spring book fair was also cancelled.
3. Standardized tests
are administered inefficiently. Why are students forced to take two tests
covering the same subject? Why do they have to endure three days of tests on
the same subject? If we have to give students standardized tests, can’t we
eliminate the redundancies and limit the time involved?
4. Standardized tests
are used improperly. Standardized tests should not be used in student
placement decisions since they are not an accurate reflection of a student’s
abilities or aptitude. They should not be used to evaluate teachers and schools. I will concede that standardized tests
could potentially provide value if they were used to identify possible gaps in
student learning. But to accomplish this goal, three things would have to happen:
a. Tests for each grade level must
be developed with input from teachers to ensure they cover concepts taught at
that grade level.
b. Test developers must ask clear,
straightforward questions instead of attempting to confuse and trick test-takers.
Anyone who experienced “Pineapple-gate” in New York knows what I’m talking
about.
c. Most importantly, teachers should
be allowed to give students their tests back after they are graded so the
students can learn from their mistakes. This is the most egregious error in the
government’s approach to testing. Students never see their tests after they are
graded and, therefore, miss out on an opportunity to learn.
5. Standardized tests
divert funding from educational programs. The only beneficiaries of the
focus on testing are the companies that develop and sell standardized tests.
Shamefully, funds that are sorely needed for educational programs and instructional
materials are being spent on testing.
If you are also frustrated by the federal and state
governments’ unjustified obsession with standardized tests, consider supporting
educators, parents and concerned citizens in New York State and nationwide who
are voicing their opposition. For
more information on this initiative, visit the following website http://www.newyorkprincipals.org/.
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