Standardized testing is strangling education.
Four straight days of testing this week. I asked my seniors if they knew how lucky they were–come to school at 12:50 every day, two or three or four shortened class periods, and home again. To top it off, Monday was Senior Skip Day (hmm, why do I feel guilty capitalizing that?)
For the rest of us, it’s not such a good week. Just getting ready for it is a pain. We teachers have to go to not one but two mind-numbing training sessions to administer a test in which we pass out the test materials, read the bold-faced directions, monitor the test by going up and down rows switching from one sitting perch to another (two teachers per classroom), escort kids to the bathroom, and return the test materials to the counseling office at the end of the test. It’s probably worse for our students, who face a constant bludgeoning of test-related content in their classrooms, TAKS remediation for those who come up short, and nonstop exhortations to put forth their best effort as the test days approach.
Then comes the actual test days. I always volunteer to do the reading and let my partner teacher deal with the distribution and collection of test materials. I read almost identical, word-for-word directions for three straight days and wonder if anyone is actually listening on that third day. The kids begin the test. And I sit. Now the challenge actually begins…how do I occupy my mind for three plus hours when all I can do is sit or move up and down classroom rows? It used to not be so bad. One year I wrote limericks for every single kid on my tennis team (and read them aloud at the team party a month later). I’d compose them in my head, then surreptitiously jot them down on 3 x 5 cards I had stashed in my back pocket. Nowadays, our school administrators and people from across the street are peeking through the rectangular glass window on our classroom doors at least every 15 minutes (and notating what each test monitor is doing!), so I can’t even get away with that.
I have become a fashion analyst. Did you know that it’s right around 50% the number of kids who wears jeans to those who don’t? (The number goes up in jeans’ favor in February when they take the ELA TAKS test—cooler weather.) Only about 10% of kids wear actual glasses now. Hollister is winning these days—but not by much. Seems like Aeropostale is gaining favor. And the guy who invented flip flops is doing better than the guy who invented earrings—if you go by the girls at my school. (Oops…or “the girl who…”—didn’t mean to be sexist.) Finally, yes, it has become socially acceptable—I would call it a “trend”—for boys to wear socks with sandals. (My wife shudders when I do that!)
I have sat there and willed kids to have to go to the bathroom just so I can walk him/her down the hallway, wait outside and visit with other teacher/escorts while he/she does his/her business, and then walk him/her back to the classroom thinking I’m getting paid $300 + a day to take a kid to the bathroom!
Have I started to rant? Truth is, I used to kind of look forward to the TAKS test days—you know, break up the routine, less stress than actually teaching, different daily schedule, different kids, etc. But now the TAKS test days are just the tip of the deluge. Next week we’ll begin with some of the pre-AP, AP, and IB testing. Week after that, I’ll have one of my classes for 4 and ½ hours while the freshmen are taking their STAARS tests for three straight days. After that we continue with pre-AP, AP, IB, and EOC tests. To top it off, we have the audacity to give our own students a final exam for the classes we teach.
I’m happy to report that my school district is one of many that has signed a petition to the Texas Education Agency protesting the proliferation of testing that has strangled public education. I hope the educationists listen.
Ciao! dallinmalmgren.com
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I have no idea what this means. Please enlighten.
New respect for SCUCISD! Happy to hear where they stand on standardized testing.
yeah, i agree. but we still bow down to the system.
Stick it to the man mr malmgren!! I thought they were supposed to get rid of all the TAKS tests, and just move on to just end of term exams instead of that and finals…what the heck happened to making it easier for everyone?!
I retired after 33 years of teaching — and the nonstop testing (and being compelled to “teach the test”) was my primary reason. Sad for all concerned.