Only 13 percent of teachers feel that that the standardized tests required to be taken by the students in their state are well fit and correctly suited for pupils. 70 percentof educators believe that the standardized assessments mandated by their state are developmentally inappropriate for their students.
Standardized tests are based on a select curriculum prescribed to specific grade levels, meanwhile teachers spend years learning that there is a variation in the ability for children to learn new concepts and skills. The ability usually depends on their individual experiences and skills in addition to what is actually the concept being taught.
With all this being said, why would a standardized test filled with narrow curriculum be a good way to measure student or teacher success?
Children get ready for different skills at different stages. Let’s say there are two children of the same age. One may be developmentally ready to learn multiplication and division, but not ready to learn musical concepts. The other may not yet be ready to learn about times tables or long division but may flourish in music and the arts.
A standardized test would say that the first student was overachieving or meeting standards, and the second was below standards. The test would imply that the second student was unsuccessful, which would be a false assumption.
All people have different sets of talents and skills, including young children. Although it is important for children to learn about things like multiplication, it is important to remember that successful development is not dependent on the mastery of mathematics. Brains develop differently at various paces. We all have different sets of strengths and weaknesses. Often, where one person lacks, another excels. This is true from childhood through adulthood.
In a sense, by making the test only on a select set of skills, we are telling children that the mastery of one skill more important than another. Kids are being shown that there is only one way to be successful and if they do not perform well on the state standardized tests then they are far behind their peers in every aspect.
Additionally, not all state tests are considered equal. There are differences between the developmental appropriateness of standardized tests. 81 percent of teachers feel the PARCC is not developmentally appropriate, 70 percent of educators feel the Smarter Balanced exams are not developmentally appropriate, and 65 percent of teachers whose students are required to take other state exams feel that the mandatory exam is developmentally inappropriate.
One survey revealed something that may be surprising- differences in demographics revealed no difference in how educators viewed their standardized tests. Things such as student to teacher ratios, percentage of students eligible for reduced price lunches, and percentages of minorities had no effect on teachers’ perceptions of the appropriateness perceived for their state tests.
Success on these ill fit tests put extreme pressure and stress on both teachers and students. This generation is “the most tested generation in history”(Simpson 2).
In high school we were required to take standardized tests, and I remember my classmates taking the exams extremely seriously. Students would get so nervous that sometimes they would feel nauseous. Whenever I had to take a standardized tests, my hands would be shaky and become clammy. Everyone would get so fixated on performing well on an exam that is not even appropriately measuring our skills.
If the tests are not suitable for students, why is there so much pressure put on them in the first place? Perhaps educators should have more input in the education system in which they work. Teachers know their students the best, so shouldn’t they have the largest influence on a system made for their benefit?
Sources:
http://neatoday.org/2016/02/18/standardized-tests-not-developmentally-appropriate/
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/eap/files/c._simpson_effects_of_testing_on_well_being_5_16.pdf
It speaks volumes when the percentage of teachers with opposing views on several aspects of standardized testing is rather high. I agree with how standardized testing creates a very detrimental state for many students.
You make a solid argument and present well-supported evidence. Unfortunately, I feel that until another way of “testing” or uniformly ranking students comes along, schools and colleges will continue using standardized testing.
I completely agree with your argument. Students have different skills, some thrive in math, others in arts, and others in science etc. When only 13% of teachers believe that the current standardized tests are well fit and beneficial, change has to be made.