I have been taking standardized tests my whole
life. I started by taking MSAs (Maryland
State Assessments) and HSAs (Maryland High School assessments). The MSAs were given every year from third to
eighth grade to measure reading and math achievement. The HSAs were given for Algebra I (which I
took in 7th grade), Biology (9th grade), American
Government (9th grade), and English (10th grade). It is mandatory to pass the HSAs in order to
graduate from high school in Maryland. These
standardized tests measure the progress of both the school and the student. (MSDE, 2003).
I took the SATs during my junior year of high school, as well as many AP
(Advanced Placement) exams my junior and senior year. I took the two separate English APs, AP
Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP U.S. History, AP Calculus BC, Physics C:
Mechanics, and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. Recently, I have taken the PRAXIS II in
Mathematics.
Having taken so many standardized tests, I have often
wondered how effective they were in evaluating my learning. Despite the intentions of the test makers, I
do not believe that many, if any, of these exams successfully demonstrated my “evidence
of learning.” Popham (2014) discusses
evidence of student learning as “evidence in the form of student performance on
classroom tests.” Most of the tests that
I took focused on more on how well I could memorize and recall information and
not on my understanding of the topic. I
think that the SATs and the HSAs were rather ineffective in measuring my
understanding. The AP exams had a lot of
writing and places to explain my reasoning, and therefore I feel as though they
were more effective in correctly measuring my performance.
I think that standardized testing was made to measure
student progress on a “fair” playing field.
It ended up being shaped into what it is today because it is currently
being used to assess schools. (D’Agostino,
Welsh, & Corson, 2007) Currently, a
teacher’s competence is being determined by how well their students perform on standardized
tests. (Popham, 2014) School funding is often heavily influenced on
the school’s overall performance on standardized testing. It isn’t necessarily a way to evaluate students
and show evidence of student learning, it is a way to evaluate the teachers and
the schools. When I was younger and
taking standardized tests, I often wondered if my scores would truly affect me
or just the school five years down the road.
I think that the Common Core Standards are trying to bring the focus of
teaching and standardized testing back to how the students are performing and emphasizing
student learning and not on the teachers.
By holding students to the same standards, students will learn more
effectively and be more prepared for their lives. Common Core has changed some of the standards
in hopes to do that. While it is only
implemented in Mathematics and English, I am speculating that Common Core will
be introduced to the sciences shortly.
References:
D‘Agostino,
J. V., Welsh, M. E., & Corson, N. M. (2007). Instructional sensitivity of a
state’s standards-based assessment. Educational Assessment, 12(1), 1-22.
Maryland
State Department of Education (2003). Testing
Content and Data. Retrieved from http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/testing/testing_overview.htm?WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished%252%25%25%25%3E%25
Popham, W. James. (2014). Classroom assessment: what teachers need to
know. Pearson Education, Inc.
I totally forgot about the MSA's. Those were assessment test to test us on the basics. I have to agree with you on the evaluation of standardized test that we had to take. Every student learns differently. I am not a good test taker. I feel the pressure and automatically become stressed out. Just because I do not answer a question correctly at test time; does not mean that I do not understand the material. I do not believe it should be a reflection on the teacher either because there are other forms of assessment that can determine a teacher's strengths and weaknesses. Grades show what students understood versus their lack of understanding. One test does not need to determine that for them. As far as funding goes, it is the students who do not do well on the standardized test that need the most funding. These students probably already do not have the necessary resources to succeed in learning. We need to provide these students with more resources to become successful, which starts by understanding which schools are struggling. Common Core has been developed to help students understand the content information that is being taught, which can prepare them for success on standardized tests. I believe that standardized test should be brought back to their original purpose to assess student understanding of content information without judgment. It is almost a form of bias in the workplace considering students are being rated and teachers as well when there can be factors playing a role. A standardized test can help determine students’ strengths and weaknesses (Popham, 2014). This is what a standardized should be doing. Determining their strengths and weaknesses to help them succeed in what the students do not completely understand.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
Popham, W. (2014). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson.