CHALK TALK: Testing, testing: It’s here to stay

SBA, AMP, PEAKS, MAP, PSAT, SAT, ACT, ASVAB…What is to be done with the alphabet soup of tests?

Beginning with Kindergarteners rolling in and taking benchmark tests, there are tests to be taken. It is enough to make parents’ heads spin, teachers wonder at what their profession has become, administrators wonder how the results will actually showcase their dedicated teachers, and students balk, or beg to opt out.

But what do I know? I was one of the crazy kids who actually liked testing. I was always interested to see what I could do; how I could score; what the results would be. I saw those tests as games rather than a stressor. It was a change from the regular routine of the school day. Now that I am the teacher, I find that most students don’t feel the same way. Frankly, in the contentious world of school and testing, and as they watch the adults around them worry the issue; it is easy to see why.

But here is the bottom line; testing is here to stay, and its value to our kids, schools, and community is in our hands. We can choose to complain and create a self-fulfilling prophesy that testing is without value, or we can take a closer look and embrace what it can give us.

From the time they are born, parents of all experience levels look around and see the progress their little ones are making. Did they crawl, babble, reach, stand or walk at the right time. Part of this is the genuine concern for developmental delay, but even when there is no worry about whether kids are in the range of normal, there is a constant competition and comparison for reaching milestones that doesn’t stop when school age arrives. Parents want the best for their kids in all areas of their lives.

Generally, parents are not at school with their own children, and testing is a major source of feedback. Parents want to know how their children are progressing. When test scores arrive, parents are eager to know if there is an area where there is a strength or weakness. They watch the results come back year after year. There are changes in tests, but overall there is an indication of whether kids are on the right track or not. It gives parents comfort, or a topic to discuss with teachers at conference time, so families know what to do to help our kids thrive.

As students get older, strengths might indicate areas that could be enjoyed in future careers. On the flip side, areas of weakness might warn that their skills need to be supported or revisited. Those lower scores may also hint that an otherwise well-performing student did not take the test seriously, was stressed out, or even hostile about participation in the assessment.

Administrators in our buildings and school districts need the information those assessments provide. They need to be able to see that the curriculum of the district is meeting the educational goals of the student population.. They need to be able to address any deficiencies within the program and to problem-solve areas of weakness so that teachers have the training they need and students are receiving the very best education possible.

In the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) there is no concern about a school having to be taken over because of poor test scores, but there is a constant need for problem-solving to be sure that high quality programs are chosen carefully and implemented with consistency across the district. No matter what the particular choice of standardized test, the data that is received overall is used to help guide the decision making process.

This isn’t about teacher evaluation; this is about the evaluation of our entire district plan. Is it working? Do we need to make some changes so that we meet the educational needs of our community? David Booth, assistant principal at Palmer High stated, “Without clear data, we can’t institute positive change.”

Teachers make use of testing data. The whole purpose of the data is to inform the process of planning lessons so that students receive the most appropriate instruction. As teams, teachers may have conversations referred to as Data Dialogue. During those conversations, the performance of a student or group of students is discussed. This is not a conversation about one test, but about a range of data points from both formal and informal evaluations which show if the current strategies in a classroom are working or need adjustment. Response to Intervention (RTI), is the organized way that staff members use the information they have gathered about students to be sure that any support that a student may need is provided. This is not a special education program. It is a safeguard against any student falling through the cracks. If one strategy doesn’t work, another one is tried.

Teachers have access to a new program called Silverback that allows a view of all the standardized tests a student has taken through the years. This program allows teachers — especially math and English teachers — to tailor teaching to the strengths of a group of students, and to give continued guidance in areas of weakness. The program even suggests Internet resources that support identified weaknesses. If a student has opted out of testing, there is less information that shows exactly what lessons could be most beneficial individually.

Finally, students. What is gained from being placed in multiple testing situations each year? What is the benefit to students personally? They don’t learn new information from tests. It takes valuable educational instruction time. Students say, “They are boring and pointless.”

I sigh.

It is a daunting task to give new insight to students who are truly convinced that testing is just something an unrelated Big Brother has mandated.

Without information about the benefits, it will be hard to change student mindsets. The shifting allegiance to our state-mandated tests (SBA, AMP, PEAKS) has caused a fissure in the consistency of the testing data we have. This lack of commitment has created a situation where student progress may not be tracked easily from year to year. It does not, however, negate the value of the process. Each test has different questions and focus, but they show strengths and weaknesses.

Guidance counselors look at the results of these assessments. While classes will not generally be chosen solely on the basis of them, they will be a tool in the hands of counselors and administrators who do their best to place students in classes that are not frustratingly easy or difficult.

Sitting down and taking a test actually helps the community. Seems like an overstatement, but it is important in the same way that voting in Alaska when national election results have already been announced is important. It provides the opportunity to be part of something bigger, and to have a voice in the changes that will be made in the school district.

High school is not the last time structured assessments will be required. To move on to higher education, students will need to take the SAT or ACT. These do have a significant role in determining which colleges and universities are available to a graduating senior. Careers in the medical, legal, aviation, engineering, business or educational fields require standardized tests for entry and professional progress. Welders and heavy machine operators will also need some kind of continuing education, certification, or written evaluation.

If teachers do not provide preparation for taking high-stakes tests, it is irresponsible. Those tests arrive in real life from the DMV to work situations. The goal is to have everyone who graduates from a school in the MSBSD be prepared for either college or a career.

“Why should I try, it doesn’t count for anything anyway?”

Don’t say it doesn’t count for anything. It always counts. Standardized testing requires grit. Anytime a test presents itself, it is an opportunity to practice skills: time management, focus, endurance, and self-discipline. Faced with standardized testing, students have the power to take that situation and make it worthless or to make it an opportunity that counts. Refusing to engage will only prove that a certain number of hours were wasted on a given day. Embrace the effort that it takes to redeem that time.

Make every test count.

Rebekah Kitchin teaches English at Palmer High School.