Imagine if there was no standardized testing…it not hard to do! Then again, if you are a teacher, parent, or student it’s probably pretty difficult. It is definitely a challenge to try and image an educational system where we are not spending large amounts of time and treasure on a practice that is of little value in regards to equipping students for the world of tomorrow.
The real tragedy lies in the fact that standardized testing actually moves us farther away from our goal of creating an educational system that develops creators, innovators, and thinkers.
As a parent and a teacher I find myself asking “Why”. Why are we testing so much? How does all this testing help us better educate and equip our students?
Beyond the question of why, we have to ask “Is it worth it? The total cost extends beyond the financial implications. The true cost includes lost time, misplaced focus, wasted energy, misappropriated talents, and the toll testing exacts on our kids.
As a teacher, standardized tests have a small impact on what I do in my classroom. One reason is the fact that the results are given at the end of the year. This doesn’t give me a chance to utilize the results in a meaningful way to support my students. Think about this in medical terms. This type of assessment is like an autopsy. An autopsy is too late for that person. The most useful assessments are like checkups. The data can be used to guide my instruction and help students with specific skills.
The sad irony is that I already have all that I need related to assessing my students. Teachers already have adequate assessments (formative assessments, textbook assessments, district level benchmark tests, other district adopted assessments, etc.). These assessments are used to guide my instruction, identify individual student needs, and provide information on student achievement. This data is available in real time. That is why it is an invaluable tool to me as a teacher.
That brings me back to: Why?
One justification is that the data is used to rank schools. The problem with that is we are spending a ridiculous amount of money for a ranking system that is deeply flawed. Schools that rank higher do not necessarily have better teachers and/or better programs. There are other factors (poverty and language acquisition are two of them) that significantly impact educational outcomes measured by the standardized tests. Standardized testing often gives us “false positives” and “false negatives”.
So if the results are flawed and lack validity, then why do we keep using them? That is the question policy makers should be asking themselves. Wouldn’t it be better to shift these resources to help addressing the significant issues that impact achievement?
Since standardized tests are of limited value, this brings me to another question we should be asking, “Is it worth it?”
These resources (billions of dollars, time, talents, etc.) could be better used to create classrooms that engage and equip our students. There are far better uses of our educational time, treasure, and talent.
We don’t need standardized testing to have robust schools. Finland is one example, but we can also look here at home. Many private schools do not utilize standardized testing and they are successfully educating their students. Furthermore, parents are largely satisfied with these schools. This is how the wealthy “opt out” of the testing frenzy.
There is an alternative. We could test less!
Imagine reallocating these resources to create a learning environment that engages all learners and one that closes the achievement gap. Imagine creating classrooms that students are excited to enter and reluctant to leave. Imagine a classroom were students are experiencing, doing, collaborating, and discovering. Imagine classrooms that develop the skills and thinking processes that our kids need for their futures.
Imagine creating a culture where our best and brightest aspire to be teachers. Imagine an education system that utilizes resources to develop and improve teaching practices and invest in tools and equipment that will enable teachers to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences.
What if we used those resources to get tools into the hands of students so that they could experience what they are learning firsthand and make connections? Students would be able to develop understanding instead of just being told information. Students will be given the ability develop creative thinking skills instead of just being “repeaters of information”. Equally important, students would be engaged and motivated by this type of learning environment.
Maybe we could create classrooms that teach students the way the brain learns instead of teaching to a test!
Imagine what would happen if we significantly reduced the amount of standardized testing our students are subjected to during their education.
There would be more time for teaching and learning….a pretty radical thought! I believe there is little downside to this unless you are a testing publisher or a politician with an agenda. The upside is reallocating existing resources to improve the quality of education in America and improve learning outcomes for all students.
You may say I am dreamer, but I am not the only one…..