A Failing Test
All the talk about administering numerous tests to little kids in order to somehow improve their education makes my head spin. We keep talking about testing outcomes as if we were talking about a business. As a home educator, I have a much different view of testing, and I can because I am the one in charge and I can easily assess how things are going. Of course, that would be a bit more tricky if I had to mentally assess 20+ kids, and it would seem easier to do it with a test.
And that's what's wrong with the entire education system in our country; we always seek to use the seemingly most efficient means to figure out how much the kids are learning, and testing them is the default. But in doing so, we put stress on the child; we do not and can not take into account how the child learns and processes information, whether they slept well the night before or had a good breakfast on testing day. We fail to address their unique abilities and strengths, their passions and aspirations; we do not see the whole child. We give them a test and expect that to be the measure of what the child knows, has learned, and his intelligence. And when the child gets a poor grade everyone gets worried and talks about ways to improve test scores,as if improving them will somehow mean that the child is learning more, and will the teacher be in trouble? And the child soaks that all in, all that pressure and worry and stress, and somehow feels not good enough, like he's part of the problem.
As long as we keep trying to put our kids through the factory style education system, as long as we are trying to pound square blocks into round holes, as long as we compare apples to oranges to avocados and want to call all of them grapes, we will fail our kids. As long as we put our kids, and their teachers, through the mind numbing process of learning to take a test, we will fail our kids and continue to fall behind the rest of the world. We will continue to lose great thinkers and problem solvers and miracle workers; we will lose creators and engineers and leaders. And we will lose these from both the student and teacher population. We are crushing a generation of kids and teachers with our addiction to testing.
The answer is not easy, and I can offer only my own experience and opinions. If you look to the homeschooling community and look at the statistics, you will find leaders and thinkers, creators and problem solvers, and ironically, kids who consistently test well above average on standardized tests. How can this be, if most homeschooled kids aren't tested vigorously and regularly? I have never taught to a test, nor even cracked open the Iowas before sitting down to administer them to my kids, so it's all new to me too. (although, with 7 kids, and years of giving these tests, I am seeing questions that are familiar and that I remember from the last time). But I know that no matter how well they do on the test (and they always do well), it is really not a measure of their intelligence, body of knowledge, or ability. I have some kids who are better test takers than others, for sure, and if they were in school they would be labeled gifted, while my other kids who aren't as good at test taking could be labeled average or deficient. At best, the test is only a small picture into my child's mind; it can only give me a fraction of the information I need to assess her.
If our schools were left to be run by the teachers, and they were allowed to figure out what is best for their current student population, what would happen? I'm not sure, but I have no doubt school would be a much more productive and fun place to be.
If the powers that be really wanted to revolutionize our education system and make it excellent, they would look to the alternative educational systems: home educators, Montessori, private schools, to name a few. And they would get rid of standardized testing. But there is so much money to be made in testing. (For instance, one Iowa test is about $60). I'm sure schools get a bulk rate discount (I should hope so!), but we are spending in the billions on these tests. And our schools keep spending the money in hopes of better test grades that will make their schools look good (on paper) and assuage parental fear that their child won't get into college or get a job if he hasn't been tested enough or makes high enough scores. I have a sneaking suspicion that the testing companies (behemoths, really) are laughing all the way to the bank, with nary a thought of the welfare of the kids that have to suffer through their tests.
I admittedly do not give weekly tests or quizzes, except maybe occasional spelling tests. I don't even give my kids letter grades until they are in high school and I need them for their transcript. Some of my kids requested letter grades in middle school and sometimes the younger ones are curious about it, but I play it down as much as I can. Instead, I give them lots of verbal praise and feedback on how they are doing. If I sense they are not grasping a concept, I slow down and we work on that for a few more days or however long it takes until the child and I are satisfied and we move on. It doesn't take me very long to figure out what my child understands. And it wouldn't take a teacher very long either, especially if she wasn't spending all of her time teaching her students how to take a test.
But we just keep demanding better test scores, punishing schools and teachers for poor scores and making kids feel bad about themselves, forcing the teacher and student into an almost impossible situation. If parents and administrators could be satisfied with a written assessment from a teacher, and be willing to leave it at that, what would happen? I would love to find out. Sure, kids can take the Iowa or something similar at the end of the year, starting in grade 3 or 4 at the earliest, and the results can be used as a tool (rather than an assessment) for further learning or skill building, and for nothing else. Don't even report the scores to anyone but the students and parents! I usually don't tell my younger kids what their score is except to say that they did just fine, and they are satisfied with that, and promptly forget the entire test taking experience. Not much stress there.
Kids' brains are amazing. Once a kid can read, write and do basic math, the world is and should be their oyster. We adults should give them the tools and materials to learn, and then get out of their way. Be there for support and encouragement and for clarification and tutoring, but let them move at their own pace. This can happen in schools as well as at at home. Implementing this approach in schools would not be easy and would require a different approach to 'doing' school, but it would be so worth it! It has been my approach for years and the results have been good. I can't quantify the results for you (except for some Iowa scores). I can tell you that my kids are learning, succeeding, growing and owning their education. They have even told me that they would rather struggle through their studies before asking for help; in doing so, they tell me, they learn the material more thoroughly and confidently. And that should be the ultimate goal of any educator: that their students own their own education. Once a child owns his education, nothing can take it away, not even a test score.
And that's what's wrong with the entire education system in our country; we always seek to use the seemingly most efficient means to figure out how much the kids are learning, and testing them is the default. But in doing so, we put stress on the child; we do not and can not take into account how the child learns and processes information, whether they slept well the night before or had a good breakfast on testing day. We fail to address their unique abilities and strengths, their passions and aspirations; we do not see the whole child. We give them a test and expect that to be the measure of what the child knows, has learned, and his intelligence. And when the child gets a poor grade everyone gets worried and talks about ways to improve test scores,as if improving them will somehow mean that the child is learning more, and will the teacher be in trouble? And the child soaks that all in, all that pressure and worry and stress, and somehow feels not good enough, like he's part of the problem.
As long as we keep trying to put our kids through the factory style education system, as long as we are trying to pound square blocks into round holes, as long as we compare apples to oranges to avocados and want to call all of them grapes, we will fail our kids. As long as we put our kids, and their teachers, through the mind numbing process of learning to take a test, we will fail our kids and continue to fall behind the rest of the world. We will continue to lose great thinkers and problem solvers and miracle workers; we will lose creators and engineers and leaders. And we will lose these from both the student and teacher population. We are crushing a generation of kids and teachers with our addiction to testing.
The answer is not easy, and I can offer only my own experience and opinions. If you look to the homeschooling community and look at the statistics, you will find leaders and thinkers, creators and problem solvers, and ironically, kids who consistently test well above average on standardized tests. How can this be, if most homeschooled kids aren't tested vigorously and regularly? I have never taught to a test, nor even cracked open the Iowas before sitting down to administer them to my kids, so it's all new to me too. (although, with 7 kids, and years of giving these tests, I am seeing questions that are familiar and that I remember from the last time). But I know that no matter how well they do on the test (and they always do well), it is really not a measure of their intelligence, body of knowledge, or ability. I have some kids who are better test takers than others, for sure, and if they were in school they would be labeled gifted, while my other kids who aren't as good at test taking could be labeled average or deficient. At best, the test is only a small picture into my child's mind; it can only give me a fraction of the information I need to assess her.
If our schools were left to be run by the teachers, and they were allowed to figure out what is best for their current student population, what would happen? I'm not sure, but I have no doubt school would be a much more productive and fun place to be.
If the powers that be really wanted to revolutionize our education system and make it excellent, they would look to the alternative educational systems: home educators, Montessori, private schools, to name a few. And they would get rid of standardized testing. But there is so much money to be made in testing. (For instance, one Iowa test is about $60). I'm sure schools get a bulk rate discount (I should hope so!), but we are spending in the billions on these tests. And our schools keep spending the money in hopes of better test grades that will make their schools look good (on paper) and assuage parental fear that their child won't get into college or get a job if he hasn't been tested enough or makes high enough scores. I have a sneaking suspicion that the testing companies (behemoths, really) are laughing all the way to the bank, with nary a thought of the welfare of the kids that have to suffer through their tests.
I admittedly do not give weekly tests or quizzes, except maybe occasional spelling tests. I don't even give my kids letter grades until they are in high school and I need them for their transcript. Some of my kids requested letter grades in middle school and sometimes the younger ones are curious about it, but I play it down as much as I can. Instead, I give them lots of verbal praise and feedback on how they are doing. If I sense they are not grasping a concept, I slow down and we work on that for a few more days or however long it takes until the child and I are satisfied and we move on. It doesn't take me very long to figure out what my child understands. And it wouldn't take a teacher very long either, especially if she wasn't spending all of her time teaching her students how to take a test.
But we just keep demanding better test scores, punishing schools and teachers for poor scores and making kids feel bad about themselves, forcing the teacher and student into an almost impossible situation. If parents and administrators could be satisfied with a written assessment from a teacher, and be willing to leave it at that, what would happen? I would love to find out. Sure, kids can take the Iowa or something similar at the end of the year, starting in grade 3 or 4 at the earliest, and the results can be used as a tool (rather than an assessment) for further learning or skill building, and for nothing else. Don't even report the scores to anyone but the students and parents! I usually don't tell my younger kids what their score is except to say that they did just fine, and they are satisfied with that, and promptly forget the entire test taking experience. Not much stress there.
Kids' brains are amazing. Once a kid can read, write and do basic math, the world is and should be their oyster. We adults should give them the tools and materials to learn, and then get out of their way. Be there for support and encouragement and for clarification and tutoring, but let them move at their own pace. This can happen in schools as well as at at home. Implementing this approach in schools would not be easy and would require a different approach to 'doing' school, but it would be so worth it! It has been my approach for years and the results have been good. I can't quantify the results for you (except for some Iowa scores). I can tell you that my kids are learning, succeeding, growing and owning their education. They have even told me that they would rather struggle through their studies before asking for help; in doing so, they tell me, they learn the material more thoroughly and confidently. And that should be the ultimate goal of any educator: that their students own their own education. Once a child owns his education, nothing can take it away, not even a test score.
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