Annette Christmas

Ms. Sabrina Vargas Ortiz

EN105
April 15, 2016

More than Tests

We have placed so much emphasis on standardized tests that we fail to see the
bigger picture. Our children, our teachers, and our schools are affected by these tests in
similar, yet different ways. While testing is necessary for the accountability of what our
children are learning and how effective the teachers teaching is, it is crucial to
understand that learning is more than doing well on a test.
Too much pressure is placed on our children when it comes to standardized
testing. In a recent article published in USA Today, President Obama stated that
learning is so much more than filling in the right bubble (USA Today, October 2015).
Why are we only teaching to the test when we should be teaching our students skills that
will help them succeed not only academically but also succeed in the real world. We are
taught that children learn at different levels and at a different time. If this is true, how is
it that all students in the same grade level are given the exact same test? In a general
classroom you may have a student with a learning disability who is not reading at grade
level, a student who is autistic who needs help with directions, and a bilingual student
who is still grasping the English language. So how is it possible to give these students
the exact same test? If we are teaching each child at a different level, then we should

have test that are at the level the children are. Many of the children that are affected
come from low income families, minority children and children with learning
disabilities. A childs self-esteem is also affected with the standardized tests. If the child
is not able to pass the test they may begin to feel stupid or dumb even though they get
decent grades in their regular work. Some children are just not good at test taking. Our
children are at school for 187 days of the year, yet their academic progress or movement
to the next grade level is solely determined on the one test. Students also lose the sense
of imagination and creativity when it comes to testing. One example of this is word
problems. They must only read the word problem and circle any context clues to help
them solve the answer. While this helps some students, others lose their understanding
since they are not placing themselves in the question and able to view it in a different
way. As parents we need to be involved in the education of our children and stand up
for what is unfair.
These standardized tests not only affect our children; they also affect our teachers
as well. Just like our students, teachers are under a lot of stress to produce a passing
score in every student in their classroom. This stress also comes from the fact that
teachers are having to stop teaching the curriculum material to teach test material.
Teach to the test is what they call it. Teachers omit certain material from the curriculum
that will not be on the test. If the standardized test is based on the material the students
are learning, why should the teacher stop teaching curriculum material? Too much time
is spent on test preparation including review sheets and practice tests that it takes away
from the teacher being able to teach high-order thinking instruction. Another way these
tests affect our teachers is that their salaries and even their jobs are based on the

outcomes of these tests. Many districts hold their teachers accountable for how their
students perform on the test. Many teachers are not given credit for any
accomplishments their students may have made though out the year. For example, if
teacher A has a student in her class who was below reading grade level at the beginning
of the school year but at the end of the year she is at reading level but failed the
standardized test, the teacher would not receive credit for the accomplishment that year
since her student failed the test. Like I said before so much emphasis is placed on
standardized tests than on actual learning. An accomplishment with children no matter
how big or how small should always be recognized. Another added stress to the teachers
is that many school districts base a teachers salary on the results of the standardized
tests. A pay raise is not given until their students are performing well on tests. Once
again I will go back to the question, children are taught for 187 days of the year why do
we base their academic success on three to four days of testing?
Our schools and districts are also affected by these standardized tests. Based on
the results of these tests determine what label the school will fall into. Schools are
categorized into three labels: exemplary, proficient, and below proficient. If a school
falls into the below proficient category this will hurt its enrollment, as no parent would
like to send their child to a low performing school. And if the enrollment at the school
goes down this hurts its funding, with the loss of its funding the school is not able to
offer programs to help the children with their academics such as after school tutoring.
This would also hurt the teachers due to low enrollment many of their jobs could be
lost.

While testing is necessary for the accountability in the learning of our children, it
should not determine their academic success. We must stand up to our leaders and put
our childrens learning ahead of any tests. Teachers should not teach to the test, but
teach our children the skills necessary to be a good part of society.