In the State of Minnesota we commonly joke that we have two seasons: Winter and Road Construction... This isn't a new issue for the vast majority of educators, but it is becoming more apparent to me that we are at a fundamental crossroads in education where we spend our entire school year getting ready for ONE season, TESTING SEASON; with the results being used by the public to determine the worthiness of our teachers, schools, districts, communities and most damaging of all... OUR CHILDREN.
In the last week I attended conferences and found myself contradicting the message I feel forced to portray as a principal, not from my superintendent or school board but through the social pressures and external judgements placed on all schools. One teacher shared the results of the state mandated scores and the truth is, I really didn't care about that outcome because my logical and educated mind knows the education of the whole child is much more than one test score on one day. Yet when I wear the hat of principal, I feel like there is no other choice than to push the teachers and students at my school to reach a certain level of proficiency on the state test. The truth is, I logically and educationally know better, yet I often struggle to not check the scores as they come rolling in.
Within the same week, another child was complaining about feeling sick, that her stomach aches and according to her parents she spent the evening in absolute tears - this was more than just your normal "tummy-ache". After a good hour of discussing what was wrong, she shared that she had the state test tomorrow and was feeling the pressure of scoring well because she believes it will determine whether or not she can move on to the next grade AND is afraid that if she doesn't do well her teacher will not have a job next year.
Then yesterday, ALL State Testing Suspended... in the great state of Minnesota until further notice to make sure everything is working right with the company who developed the testing system that we are mandated to use. If I were bright enough to do the arithmetic to figure out the amount of money to pay for the testing, the training put into preparing our staff for the testing and then the amount of time to try and make the whole thing work, it seems we could probably close the federal budget deficit (insert sarcasm here...). My point being, what do we really gain in this process? Does it make the politicians feel better? Does it help to validate how tax payer money is being spent? I don't have an answer for this... What I do know is that our teachers become forced to teach test strategies rather than children. Our children feel the need to show compliance rather than truly enjoying the process of learning. Ultimately all members of our school communities begin to feel devalued regardless of whether or not the schools performed proficiently or poorly on the state mandated assessment.
Then yesterday, ALL State Testing Suspended... in the great state of Minnesota until further notice to make sure everything is working right with the company who developed the testing system that we are mandated to use. If I were bright enough to do the arithmetic to figure out the amount of money to pay for the testing, the training put into preparing our staff for the testing and then the amount of time to try and make the whole thing work, it seems we could probably close the federal budget deficit (insert sarcasm here...). My point being, what do we really gain in this process? Does it make the politicians feel better? Does it help to validate how tax payer money is being spent? I don't have an answer for this... What I do know is that our teachers become forced to teach test strategies rather than children. Our children feel the need to show compliance rather than truly enjoying the process of learning. Ultimately all members of our school communities begin to feel devalued regardless of whether or not the schools performed proficiently or poorly on the state mandated assessment.
More often than not, I am worried about what we are doing to the children of our future because of the unnecessary pressures provided through these one-day, one-shot assessments. If we really want to know what kids do or do not know, our kids and teachers should be able to take the results from the assessments and allow teachers to reteach and allow kids to retake the test until they show mastery - after all, what is deemed necessary for kids to learn has been directed to us from the state and federal levels.
Regardless of what happens in the future, children and teachers need to know that what they do matters. Schools need to be able to move away from the entire spring being driven by testing and the rest of the year becoming test prep, to an understanding that children are individuals with individual needs. When we begin to identify what children need on a skill-by-skill basis and then respond to their needs and be treated as PROFESSIONALS to show the growth our students have made during the year, we will then have an assessment system designed to ensure learning for all. Our communities, schools, teachers and students are more than one test or one season - the Test Does Not Define You!
Just my $.02
Will
