Fun fact! The earliest known standardized tests were given to government employees in 7th century China. They have been hotly debated in America after they burst on the scene in Boston in the 1800s. There is no shortage of opinions on their value to students and teachers.
Are they a great way to obtain objective results or is it a bunch of unusable information given to teachers too late in the year to be helpful?
Does it represent unbiased assessments that expose gaps in learning? Are they worth the high cost of testing and scoring?
Perhaps, they are an effective way to hold teachers accountable or they are unfair representations of both students and teachers based on too little data?
We simply HAVE to measure success but are these tests crude with a narrow scope of instruction?
The list of questions and contrasts is truly endless, and the wealth of information and expertise on both sides of the issue can be compelling. Legislation has been passed and stalled regarding student testing. Educators have flip flopped their own opinions at the highest levels of learning. So, how do we as a school decide how to implement a testing system that serves our students, informs our teachers, and does not compromises any of the core values of our mission? The short answer is that we accomplish all of this with great consideration, constant discussion, and a willingness to explore the best options available.
And, we think we have it. Our approach to student testing has evolved over the last few years. We have moved away from the hours long, bubble answered, multi-subject test to a more nimble and less time consuming option. We use a testing system known as STAR. The kids are assessed in math and reading, on iPads that can be monitored by the teacher in real time. A teacher can look at a single state curriculum standard and see which students are answering correctly and which students are struggling. As it is happening. The time spent on these tests is a fraction of the standardized IOWA system previously used. However, the older grades will continue to take IOWA once a year as a way to assess multiple subject areas.
Our teachers value the massive amounts of data provided by STAR testing as a way to not only evaluate students, but themselves as well. How are they doing as instructors? How are the students comprehending? We test as a way to elevate our game. As a way to inform and direct teaching. Teachers value the early testing as a way to see the baseline and work from there. Of course, it is not a perfect system. But, we feel confident that it is serving our students.
Remember bubbling in answers with #2 pencils? That was a requirement of the innovative scoring machine marketed in the 1930s by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). It detected electrical current flowing through graphite pencil marks. Students now use tiny computers to answer questions actually customized to their individual levels. So much has changed in education. But, certain things remain true. They are kids trying their best being taught by educators who want the best. About that, there is no debate.