The best learning often takes place when no tests are looming.
I don’t remember a single test I took in school, and I’ve somehow blocked out an entire year of
trigonometry.
My most lasting school memories occurred when no "structured" lesson was taking place. Those
moments weren’t scored on a test. But they helped make me who I am today.
I remember my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Dunmyer making time to read "James and the Giant Peach"
to us during free moments of the school day. It was my first glimpse at fantasy books, and made me
hungry for more.
In sixth grade, I remember studying the planetary system by lining up on the playground and rotating
according to our planetary assignments.
That same year, I remember a stern lecture from our teacher about some girls in our class being cruel to
a new girl. Only one girl had shown the new student any real kindness, Mrs. Beeker said. I so wanted to
be that girl. I wasn’t. And I will never forget that lesson.
I learned the joy of playing trombone from the memorable Mr. Mac. I learned the thrill of putting words
into a newspaper story from Mr. Heckman.
I don’t know many particulars about standardized tests for today’s students. But I’m pretty sure none of
those skills are being measured.
Some tests, of course, are necessary to make sure students are learning and teachers are educating.
I was lucky enough to go to a public school where the teachers were motivated to instruct and the
students were expected to learn. Not all students are so fortunate. It may take standardized tests to
determine which schools are barely going through the motions, and which students are getting passed on
simply to get them through the system. Those who graduate without an adequate education are done a
disservice. And those who manage to get into college are done no favors since they will quickly discover
themselves ill-prepared.
But I have to believe that at some point the over-testing of students is causing less lasting learning to
take place.
The average student in Ohio spends nearly 20 hours taking mandated tests a year, and another 15 hours
practicing for them. Students take an average of 10 tests each year in grades 3 through 8.
And since some teacher evaluations and district ratings are based on standardized test scores, schools
are pressured to teach to the tests.
That’s one of my concerns about so much standardized testing in schools. While I don’t know enough to say
the tests themselves are bad, I worry that the time they take in preparation leaves less time for those
moments when true, memorable learning takes place.
I worry that the fun factor in school – which motivates many students to achieve – is being drained by
the memorization method.
I wonder if teachers, who went into their profession out of a desire to inspire students, are finding
their creativity squelched by testing requirements.
Educators at local school districts expressed their concerns last month about the latest batch of
mandates, the PARCC and AIR tests. They cited too many tests, the lost instructional time due to
testing, and the lack of clarity in how the results are used.
What exactly do tests prove? Perfect test scores do not necessarily mean a wonderful life ahead for a
student.
As a parent, I remember talking to one of my daughter’s second grade teachers about her less than stellar
grades. To my relief, the teacher reassured me that tests weren’t always the best measure of a child’s
future success. I recall her saying she would much rather see a well-rounded kid with a B average, than
a student driven to get nothing below an A.
I would much rather have a teacher who makes learning fun by being creative and not teaching to the
tests. Students still need to read about a boy traveling in a peach, spin around the playground like
Saturn, blow their horns, and put out a newspaper.