No Child Left Behind testing to keep schools "accountable" also keeps students from learning. Here in Texas, we take the Texas Assesment of Knowledge and Skills (aka TAKS). Since the test was initiated 4 (maybe 5?) years ago, teachers have stopped educating students, and started year-round test prep, that teaches nothing but what a student must know to pass the TAKS. Mark Twain would be disappointed ("I have never let my schooling interfere with my education" - Mark Twain).
Having taken the test more than once myself (passed every one), I can tell you that all the test tests is how well you take standardized test. If you dont test well on multiple choice, you're screwed; and according to the state of Texas, you arent qualified to graduate. Intelligence has nothing to do with it- it helps of course, but isnt required. So "education" in Texas has been reduced to "how to pass a standardized test" rather than the traditional (but apparently outdated) math, science, social studies, and english. Nevermind that most students will never take another standardized test after they graduate from HS or College.
Since I am graduating from a public high school in may, my diploma must be "authorized" by the state of Texas. their requirements are 24 credits (which means i have taken 24 classes that the state has no quality control over), and that i passed the 11th grade exit TAKS exam (which tests how well i take multiple choice tests)... Does that seem odd to anyone else?
When i walk across that stage, I will be so proud to know that the state of texas thinks that i can pass multiple choice tests. good for me.
Standardized testing sets up lucky schools for a few more bucks. For students, it can possibly set them up for failure more so than success.
Failure is all they are setting our children up for. The pressure to succeed to make the schools and the state look good is on the shoulders of young kids; and that is all they are, KIDS!! The pressure is a bust to their self esteem, knowing no matter how well they do all year, it all hinges on one day, and one test. "Hey I carried an A in Math all year, but it doesn't matter cause I didn't pass the Math TAKS." What does that do for a childs self esteem? Whatever happened to praise and a child being proud of their report card. They now know report cards don't matter, their performance during the school year does not matter, all they know is how to prepare, worry, tutor, and pray for the day the TAKS tests are over for the year. That is a lousy way to let our children live.
In a school district near mine they have removed classes from the curriculum to help the kids that have fallen behind - ie... kids that don't know english very well (one kid doesn't speak english at all) - to make room for TAKS test training. They said they don't have it in their budget to do both. Sounds to me like lots of kids are "being left behind" in this school district. What can we do about it?
if your teachers are only teaching the test, then you have some shitty teachers. Teachers can and do teach the normal curriculum while they prepare students for the standardized tests.
or maybe they are so pressured by the administration to have all their students get "commended" ratings, they feel they have no choice....
at the 14th best ranked public school in the nation (newsweek), i dont think "shitty teachers" are the issue.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world"
- Mahatma Ghandi
True the Admin must be on board.
What I was trying to say is that teachers must structure the content of their lesson plans to engage students in learning the curriculum that both teaches the course but also prepares the student to be able to relate that knowledge in test form. That is what a good teacher does.
A great teacher also gets the students to all that and excel beyond the lesson plan.
A shitty teacher teaches how to take the test.
Standardized testing has it's pros and cons. First off, I've taken my fair share of these kinds of tests and I still don't feel better about my educational abilities. Tests like the ACT and SAT are fine...they help you figure out what you're going to be stronger at in college. I don't count these as standardized tests, but that's okay.
One benefit of standardized testing is that it helps the student to fully understand where their strengths and weaknesses are. However, this can be flawed because some people do worse on tests just because they don't take tests very well. This was the case with me. I knew the information, but I always got really nervous when it came to taking tests. This produces flawed stats.
However, I do not think that teachers/professors shouldn't do test prep for the whole entire semester/year! That doesn't even make sense! How are these students supposed to go into college with a well-rounded educational background when all they know is how to do number 5 in the math section of a test? That completely disturbes me. I see some of the people I go to school with and I realize that some of these people don't even have the basic knowledge to be able to succeed in college! It's crazy how these people are getting past high school and into colleges!
Something needs to be done with our educational system before we find ourselves having professionals out there that are not even near the level of our parents in their professions!
I do support the NCLB Act and I do support standardized testing. Qualified teachers as defined by NCLB should concentrate in delvering their subject materials to full extent that would enable students to understand the subject materials thoroughly. And I laso believe testing should cover all areas of study. I do understand that some students will be nervous during the test but this is normal in student's life. Testing is a measure of success and failure, no one will succeed by chance and no one will fail by chance.
Yes some standardized test are good. But when that becomes the primary purpose of going to class(school), we got a problem. A person can guess on a test and get at least 25%-50% right. Did they learn anything though?
That's my point tests have taken away from education.
school should def not be about focusing on one test. I mean if that were the case, why don't schools focus on teaching the SATs. It just doesn't really makes sense. People need to learn about all different things.
If a person is special education then the help they get during the year should be used. I think this is just but some do not. I think we should have the standard/advance diplomas where some go to college and some do not.
Published Author and Poet
Teacher Education Student.
I think people who are of a certain age should not have to take the basic exam especially since after a certain age that the tests are no longer availiable.
Published Author and Poet
Teacher Education Student.