I read so many commentaries from teachers across the country that are completely against "High Stakes Testing". I agree the tests are flawed and probably do not give us the information we truly are looking for. But, why do these tests exist? Are these tests any different than the tests most of our teachers give on a daily/weekly basis? Sure, the "High Stakes" part of the test is different. But the stakes are high when we come to final exams and how much these tests can affect the final grade? Why are teachers complaining that standardized tests don'r really test what kids have learned? When we give chapter tests, Unit tests, Mid-term exams, or Final Exams, don't our exams look just like these standardized tests? If we are using these types of tests to determine if a student has learned our material, why shouldn't the States use the same type tests?
As teachers, we have created these poorly designed tests and it starts early in the careers of our students. I still see teachers using timed tests in elementary. We put these young learners under serious pressure to perform quickly and without error. We emphasize speed more than accuracy. We do not accept errors. My pre-school granddaughter went in for her "evaluation". She will be starting kindergarten in the fall. She was asked to answer this question. "Soup is hot, Ice Cream is _____ ." They were looking for the answer "cold". My granddaughter answered "not". She was completely right, but because that was not the answer being looked for, her score was lowered. They didn't even ask if she knew her numbers, if she could read, or if she recognized her alphabet. This wasn't a state set standardized test. This was a local test designed by the local school. Do we wonder why the "End of Course State Assessments" are the way they are? How can we be critical of these tests, when our tests have similar flaws.
I will grant you that many teachers are starting to change their assessments. I see more and more teachers using Project Based Learning and Challenge Based Assessments. I see the tide changing. We are doing more to assess 21st century skills. But, we need to accelerate change of our own State Assessments. We need to stop looking at regurgitating facts and figures. We need to design assessments that reflect what we really want out of our students. Do we want robot type answers or do we reward creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration? If we , as teachers change how we test and teach, maybe we can get the state sponsored assessments to do the same thing.
As teachers, we have created these poorly designed tests and it starts early in the careers of our students. I still see teachers using timed tests in elementary. We put these young learners under serious pressure to perform quickly and without error. We emphasize speed more than accuracy. We do not accept errors. My pre-school granddaughter went in for her "evaluation". She will be starting kindergarten in the fall. She was asked to answer this question. "Soup is hot, Ice Cream is _____ ." They were looking for the answer "cold". My granddaughter answered "not". She was completely right, but because that was not the answer being looked for, her score was lowered. They didn't even ask if she knew her numbers, if she could read, or if she recognized her alphabet. This wasn't a state set standardized test. This was a local test designed by the local school. Do we wonder why the "End of Course State Assessments" are the way they are? How can we be critical of these tests, when our tests have similar flaws.
I will grant you that many teachers are starting to change their assessments. I see more and more teachers using Project Based Learning and Challenge Based Assessments. I see the tide changing. We are doing more to assess 21st century skills. But, we need to accelerate change of our own State Assessments. We need to stop looking at regurgitating facts and figures. We need to design assessments that reflect what we really want out of our students. Do we want robot type answers or do we reward creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration? If we , as teachers change how we test and teach, maybe we can get the state sponsored assessments to do the same thing.
