Is standardized testing a good thing?
This question has come up frequently among educators. There is so much pressure today on county and state standardized test that it has become a detriment to the students and the community.
Let’s look at a recent example.
As reported by the Huffington Post, in Atlanta, Georgia, “a state-commission investigation found rampant, system-wide cheating in 44 Atlanta public schools, with 178 teachers and principals routinely erasing incorrect answers on standardized tests and replacing them with correct ones. The cheating inflated the scores of thousands of students, giving the false impression of their -- and Atlanta's -- success.”
Although Atlanta is the most recent city cited with cheating, there is no doubt it happens more times than not. How does the Department of Education deal with this problem? Issue more standardized tests. Several counties have also issued their own county-based benchmark testing. The public statement for this increase in testing is so Central Office can monitor progress. The big question now is this: Progress in what?
The county I work for has now issued 15 day benchmark assessments in all core subjects, including foreign language, for all grade levels in high school. I can only imagine the cost involved in this. Where did this money come from, since teachers here are taking another 9 days furlough? Who created this test? How valid is this test? If there are tests every 15 days and the students are not getting a concept, where is the teaching time supposed to come from? Since there is push for the next test, how many more students will be left behind? Since there is no grade for this test, what motivates students to be accountable for reliable answers?
I understand the need for standardized tests to a degree. There does have to be some kind of measurement of the level of education across the state and a determination if standards are being met. However, more testing does not constitute more learning.
Teachers are threatened weekly with their jobs. It has come up several times at our faculty meetings how we can be easily replaced. The data has to show high marks on these standardized tests or there will be reprimands. The teachers are pressured by administration. Administration is pressured by Central Office. Central Office wants to look good on paper. The bottom line is students are not receiving a real education. They are learning to bubble in an answer. There is a major difference. Education should be about producing life-long learners and productive citizens. Unfortunately, that is not happening.
How can there be change? Parents need to demand at the county and state level that there be less standardized testing. Teachers need time, money, and resources to teach effectively. Teachers do want to teach. As a society, we need to get back into the real world of education. We need to teach not only content, but how to study. Parents need to be parents and take an active role at home with their student and help them. All of this can produce better education and a better future for our children.
