Today marks the start of our statewide testing program.  Do I have anything against testing? Nope.  Since the first classrooms there have been tests- ways to evaluate a student’s progress.  So I have no problem with testing kids- in fact, it is my job, in part, to test.  Are we testing too much?  No comment.  While I have been known to complain a little (OK a lot) about the number of minutes of instruction lost to miscellaneous tests.  I have also discovered some value in them.  I now have a much clearer picture of exactly how my class is doing- not only how I would assess them, but also how the little old man in the ivory tower looks at things & sometimes we don’t always see eye to eye.  The public seems to want to hold everyone (except themselves in most cases) accountable – unfortunately schools can’t always fix societies problems & as we compare our education system to other countries we tend to leave out the fact that we educate everyone.  Most countries after a while only use resources to educate the most promising… to us everyone is promising and that may be why our test scores just don’t match up.  Then again this is just my opinion- or something.

“I know what I know, if you know what I mean” – Edie Brickell

Testing… Testing…
Posted on March 1, 2010 by Bruce
Today marks the start of our statewide testing program.  Do I have anything against testing? Nope.  Since the first classrooms there have been tests- ways to evaluate a student's progress.  So I have no problem with testing kids- in fact, it is my job, in part, to test.  Are we testing too much?  No comment.  While I have been known to complain a little (OK a lot) about the number of minutes of instruction lost to miscellaneous tests.  I have also discovered some value in them.  I now have a much clearer picture of exactly how my class is doing- not only how I would assess them, but also how the little old man in the ivory tower looks at things & sometimes we don't always see eye to eye.  The public seems to want to hold everyone (except themselves in most cases) accountable - unfortunately schools can't always fix societies problems & as we compare our education system to other countries we tend to leave out the fact that we educate everyone.  Most countries after a while only use resources to educate the most promising... to us everyone is promising and that may be why our test scores just don't match up.  Then again this is just my opinion- or something. "I know what I know, if you know what I mean" - Edie Brickell

4 thoughts on “Testing… Testing…”

  1. Miss S

    One word – AMEN!

  2. Bugyo

    This brings up an interesting point. I’ve always wondered what teachers and schools think about their own accountability for test scores. I understand the need for a communal effort in education and all that, I’m just curious to what extent teachers look at tests as a reflection of their own performance. Do test scores keep you up at night? Make you proud? In essence, do they influence how you see yourself as a teacher?

  3. Bruce

    Bugyo (if that is your real name) interesting question and I can only answer for myself. While I do the very best I can with the students I have each year- my influence is brief. A little over a quarter of their day is spent with me. Do test scores keep me up at night? Yes, because I have no control over if my students got a good night’s sleep or had a problem on the bus, all of which will effect their attitude- and how they do on anything that one day. Test scores make me proud? Not really- I don’t see the scores usually until long after the child has moved on. My students make me proud on a daily basis with their willingness to keep trying to understand concepts that may be above them. Influence the way I see myself as a teacher? Again not so much, but they do have a massive influence on how the public me as a teacher… along with old sayings like- “If you can’t do – teach.”

  4. Bugyo

    Interesting stuff, thank you. I suspect that much of the friction over test scores comes from differences in what you think you’re evaluating — the kids, the teacher, the school, or even the community at large. Numbers are an easy measure and one we’ll probably never escape, but it sounds like you’ve developed a healthy attitude toward it all.

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