State tests are given to students in all schools once a year. Testing drives instruction and standardized tests have a purpose. They are used as an evaluative tool for the learning process and provide information for all students in all schools to ensure a quality education. They provide important information to families about how their children are performing in school and where additional help might be needed. Tests also allow student progress to be tracked over years so gains and losses can be measured.
There are misconceptions when it comes to standardized tests. When scores are high, the public thinks the school is effective. If scores are low, they think the opposite. Both of which may not be true. Teachers have been accused of teaching to the test. The truth of the matter is that most do not teach to the test. They teach to the written standards and the school’s curriculum. Unfortunately teachers and students feel the pressure to score well due to public and political criticism.
Some claim that standardized tests take up valuable classroom time and discourage academic creativity while tying teachers to testing dates, standards, goals, and objectives. Time is wasted during the day on many interruptions – testing time is not one of them.
Is a commitment to standards, goals, and objectives a bad thing? Is creativity really being stifled because of testing procedures? Only uncreative teachers hinder creativity. Most teachers take standards, set goals and objectives and turn them into creative activities that make students enjoy learning. Creativity is not being eliminated because of common core or standards. It is embedded within every classroom and in every subject taught. Children are taught to think and evaluate topics in social, economic, and political institutions during the school day. They analyze and evaluate stories and poetry and create their own free verse. The students’ minds are always creatively thinking.
Through testing, consistency is developed within the school and throughout the school districts in each state. This allows for the mobility of today’s society. Information on your state’s standards and testing can be found at http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_edu_table/
It’s time to embrace standards, goals, and a rigorous curriculum for all children, no matter where they live. Students can benefit from a global education. Educators and parents need students to have an understanding of the economic, cultural, political, and environmental factors that influence our lives. Students need to develop skills, attitudes, and values that help people to work together in the classroom and for tomorrow’s world.
