END OF TESTING ERA

In the last week I was lucky enough to talk to an elementary school teacher about standardized testing! She has been a teacher for 20 years and feels very strongly about standardized testing! I will post the interview below:

1.     How do you feel about this testing? Why?

I feel that this testing places unnecessary pressure on students to demonstrate knowledge that does not reflect their learning. The content of the tests is not appropriate for students  and the readability is way beyond  their grade level making it impossible to truly measure what they know.

2.     At what point in time did you start to disagree with the Standardized Testing?

I have never been a big fan. As a teacher, i have always known there are better, more efficient and comprehensive ways to measure student achievement.

3.     What made you feel the way you do about Standardized Testing?

In my experience, a testing environment is somewhat artificial and does not allow all students to show what they know. If that is our goal, why not use authentic student work, writing samples and shorter tests?

4.     Do you think the children benefit from this type of testing?

No

5.     What other ways do you think you can test your student’s knowledge, without standardized testing?

Different types of writing, unit or chapter tests that test what they know after instruction in class, projects, verbal/speaking assignments, daily work. Good teachers know how their students are doing in class and where the strengths and weaknesses are without a standardized test.

6.     With the world changing in a sense of technology, how do you see these tests changing?

The state is already moving toward digital testing.....a terrible mistake in my opinion. While they may be cheaper and shorter, students cannot demonstrate reading skills, writing skills, speaking skills and listening skills sitting in front of a screen.

7.     Have you spoken against standardized testing in your own school district? If yes, why? If no, what would like to do to stop this?

Additionally, I had an interview with a vice principle that is new to administration but was a middle school for 20 years and knows much about standardized testing!

1.    How do you feel about this testing? Why?

Assessment is an important part of learning.  Good teachers weave assessment into instruction regularly as assessment should be used to modify future instruction.   "This" testing that the question refers to is anything but authentic or diagnostic.    Standardized tests today intrude on authentic instruction as they interrupt valuable learning and are often not age appropriate.    The results of standardized tests in New York State are delivered so late that they serve little purpose to improve instruction.  

2.  At what point in time did you start to disagree with the Standardized Testing?

Standardized testing has always been a part of education.     Some standardized tests are of value and in the past, these tests would be few and far between.  With the explosion of tests in many subject levels and at all grade levels 3 - 8 in New York State, they are no longer helpful at all.    I was a teacher in 2002 when the ELA and math assessments first appeared in classrooms across New York State due to "No Child Left Behind.'   (Many of us re-named this nonsensical federal piece of legislation as "No Child Left Untested.")   Even back then, I was very honest with parents and students of my 7th  and 8th graders as I explained that I would never spend class time preparing students for these state tests.   I believed than and  believe even more now that I was preparing my students to read, write and speak well and I was equally responsible to get them excited about their writing and the class in general.   I refused to let the "tests" change how I taught and certainly refused to allow their intrusion to eliminate valuable parts of my curriculum.

3.  What made feel the way you do about Standardized Testing?

What made me feel this way was the realization that this type of testing dovetailed with a type of traditional teaching that I had shunned as a teacher my entire career.    We have always known that children begin so enthusiastic as kindergarteners in our national school system, yet by middle school, many are bored and disconnected and by high school, a large number of students have checked out.   This is because schools, as they are structured now, do little to inspire students to want to learn, and do even less to make education relevant to their lives.  Standardized testing is just mindless education on steroids.  As a teacher of 8th graders, it did not take long to see how many of them figured out by 8th grade, after facing these tests from third grade on, that these tests meant nothing.    Many 7th and 8th graders do not take the tests seriously because kids that age are rebellious in their nature anyway.  They see right through the nonsense and rebel against standardized testing by shutting down even more.  This in itself compromises the value of the test results.

4. Do you think the children benefit from this type of testing?

Students do not benefit from the current type of standardized testing, unless of course one believes that the benefit of the testing is to get them accustomed to taking more standardized tests.  On the contrary, these tests are exhausting, intimidating in some cases and take students away from authentic learning.

5.  What other ways do you think you can test your student’s knowledge, without standardized testing?

As I said in question one, good teachers are constantly assessing their students so that lessons in the future meet the needs of their students.    Project based learning, Socratic seminars, class discussion and quick check ins at the end of class time are all better ways to assess students.     Good teachers use assessment in such a way that students often do not even see this assessment as separate from learning.

6.   With the world changing in a sense of technology, how do you see these tests changing?

Unfortunately, technology is not being used to improve state testing; instead it is being used to better track students and to make it possible for schools to implement even more time testing.  The only difference I see then is more efficiency and more success turning learning, teachers, teaching and students into a robotic process.

7.    Have you spoken against standardized testing in your own school district? If yes, why? If no, what would like to do to stop this?

http://worklife.columbia.edu/files_worklife/public/Pros_and_Cons_of_Standardized_Testing_1.pdf