It’s March and that brings to mind several things…basketball, warmer weather, and Spring Break! However, teachers seem to have only one thing on their minds—upcoming standardized tests. I am currently interning at an elementary school and lately I’ve noticed the stress levels of teachers and students rise as they prepare for testing. Some of the pressure to perform well on standardized tests can be traced to the No Child Left Behind Act, which mandated standardized testing for all students beginning in 3rd grade and holds teachers and schools accountable for failing scores.
Image from http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1341952/thumbs/s-STANDARDIZED-TEST-large300.jpg
Parents are also noticing the pressure on their kids to perform and some are choosing to opt their child out of taking these tests. This isn’t just a handful of parents in one community either. Nationwide, concerned parents are using social media to connect with other parents who are also choosing to opt-out. There have been protests. There have been boycotts. Why, you may wonder, is this such a big deal? According to an article written by Katie Zezima last September in the Huffington Post, parents aren’t just worried about their child’s stress level. They are also troubled by the use of standardized testing to measure teacher and school performance and the practice of “teaching to the test” which narrowly focuses learning on test content.
Not everyone thinks that standardized tests are such a bad thing. James Samuelson, a teacher at a high school in Queens, N.Y., wrote an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal in which he argues that there are numerous benefits to testing. He credits standardized testing with providing opportunity for growth in critical thinking, development of test taking skills, uniformity of learning, and for helping teachers understand students’ needs. Samuelson seems to think that standardized testing forces teachers to have a concrete focus of study that they might otherwise neglect. He gives the example of English teachers who might spend time on pet projects or cruising through random topics instead of covering core knowledge.
My conclusion: I’m Not a fan of the way standardized tests are taking over the curriculum focus in some schools, taking time away from more creative forms of learning, and putting undue pressure on both teachers and students.
Sources:
ProCon.org. (2013, November 11). Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America? Retrieved from http://standardizedtests.procon.org/#background
Samuelson, J. (2014, February 12). James Samuelson: The Pleasures Of “Teaching To the Test”; Many of my fellow teachers abhor standardized testing, yet the skills it requires are good for students–and teachers. Wall Street Journal (Online). New York, N.Y., United States.
Zezima, K. (2013, September 8). More Parents Opting Kids Out Of Standardized Tests. Huffington Post. Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/09/opt-out-standardized-tests_n_3893885.html?utm_hp_ref=standardized-testing
By: tracey_kelley on April 3, 2014 at 11:48 am
Great topic. I was partially impressed that you not only addressed the obvious topic of the testing but also showed good awareness of your environment, potential work environment. It’s important to pay attention to these types of things and the influencing they have on a system and context.