Better, not more, testing is needed

OK students, you may now turn to page three in your test book, and page one in your answer booklet, and begin.

This is what students get every time we have to sit down and bear another standardized test. Everyone knows that it’s typical for students to resist filling in bubbles for hours on end. It is nerve-wracking, stressful and most of all, boring.

It starts in third grade with the benchmark exams. We sit in a room for three or more hours and endure silence for 90 minutes, when we get a break to stretch and go to the bathroom. As a pretty typical student, I predictably dislike testing. But the non-typical student in me wants to see the results.

I can admit that some of the tests we take are useful. The MAP testing, for instance, asks you a question. If you answer it correctly, the questions get increasingly more difficult. As soon as you are done, you get an accurate measure of your abilities. Personally, I think knowing this information is very helpful. If we know our capabilities it helps us move toward doing better in specific areas. The new Work Keys test is also helpful. It looks at basic skills such as reading for knowledge, practical math and locating information in a memo or other real-world sample. It was a more practical assessment than any other test I have taken.

Testing can also be used to determine how well schools are meeting adequate yearly progress according to the No Child Left Behind Act. But as much as these tests can help, I still sense a flaw in the system. What are the costs of all this testing to kids and education?

We already had seven guaranteed days taken out of regular education for SBA, HSGQE and MAP testing. And that doesn’t even include potentially needed make-up days. Now we are adding the Work Keys test too. So many days are spent proving we have the education rather than just taking time to get our education. I just don’t think it’s worth it.

I see problems with using an assessment like the High School Graduation Qualifying Exams to determine whether someone is eligible to graduate. There are a lot of factors to be taken into account. One is that not everyone tests well; not everyone can display their knowledge on exams. But more importantly, the HSGQE isn’t preparing students for life beyond high school. Maybe the Work Keys exam could be a better measure of career readiness.

I think a much-needed solution lies in less, but more effective, testing days. Use tests like the MAP exam that can properly show students’ abilities in specific skills, and Work Keys to see how ready they are for the working world. We should look for ways to see that the time we devote to testing is worth while, not only better for the educational system, but also for real life.

Ashlee Twiford is a Burchell High School student.