Testing - Is It Reaching Its Goal or Are We Testing Too Much

First, we need to discuss why we test.  Primarily we test to see if we are reaching the goals we have set for our students.  Properly used we can then make some assumptions about what may need to be retaught or which teaching methods work for which child.  However, we often then use the results for categorizing students, teachers or schools.  Parents may assume the child is not smart and what the child should choose for a career.  Schools are ranked good or bad, maybe even taken over by the state, based on their test scores.  Teachers may be compensated partly by the scores of their students.  Those are all pretty big assumptions and decisions that may be made based on a few test results.

With test results causing such major decisions, is it any wonder that we hear so much about teaching to the test?  Is it surprising that students are afraid to miss test days and that parents are reminded on that day to make sure their child has a good breakfast and makes it to school on time?  Is it surprising to hear that some schools even cheat on the tests?  What's wrong with that picture?

It is in my opinion nearly impossible to determine how much a student has learned based solely on test scores.  Some students are not good test takers no matter how well they know the material being tested.  Some students may not feel well on test day.  Some students work slower than others or are bothered by actions of others around them.  Just as some students are better verbal learners and some are better with written tasks, some students will test better with written essays, some with multiple choice or short answer and some with true and flase or oral evaluations.  Most students work better without the extreme stress we sometimes put on students on testing days.  A good teacher wants to vary how students are evaluated.

As far as whether its fair to evaluate teachers and schools based on student test scores, the answer to me is a pretty solid no.  Students come to school with such different preparation both from the previous school aspect but also from home environment.  Some schools are designated as places where many schools will send children with certain special needs and should not be expected to perform as well as others.  There's always the possibility of manipulation of scores as well.

In short, I prefer testing only as part of an overall evaluation program designed to find and alleviate student deficiencies.  We need to find other ways to evaluate schools and teachers.

Tomorrow we'll tap Christian Schools, home schools, charter schools and private schools.