Caution: One test does not fit all
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m the coordinator for the standardized testing offered by our local homeschool group. Just because I’m the coordinator does not mean that I advocate testing at a young age. I personally think that some parents put far too much emphasis on testing.
These parents tend “to put all their eggs in one basket” so to speak. If Child A does not score (insert unrealistic percentile for an average student here), then they did not have a successful year. One test cannot measure the success or failure of an educational year.
Coordinating testing this year has shown me that parents need to be better educated about what the score reports are really saying. Too many assume that 98th percentile is the same as scoring a 98% on a basic test. It isn’t the same people. I am planning to send a note explaining what the scores are really saying with the score reports when they arrive in a few weeks. Hopefully the note will help a few parents stop the silliness of testing madness.
I agree! I worked as an aide in a special education school, and am now studying to be a special ed teacher, and the concept of standardized testing aggravates me. If anything, standardized tests should just be thought of as a measurement of where a child is at, and his strengths and weaknesses, so his teacher has a better idea of what still needs to be done. For instance, if a third grade teacher finds out that most of his incoming students for the next school year scored low on a multiplication part of a standardized tests, the teacher would know that he can’t just jump into division at the beginning of the school year! People tend to put too much meaning on these tests!
* I am planning to send a note explaining what the scores are really saying with the score reports when they arrive in a few weeks* It should be a very short note
“This test shows how well your child took this test and not much more” lol Love that cartoon!
We test every week, to be sure material was retained. As for standardized testing, I do not think any child before grade five, should be tested. If a child does not appear to be a child that will attend college, I think these tests are useless.
I like to make the assumption that every child will be attending some sort of college program. It is just a carry over line of thought from when I worked in schools.
when it comes to thinking about standardised tests I always ask myself “what is a standardised child?” Whatever it is, I’m not sure I want a standard child. What I would love to know about children is what unique quality they have to offer society, what makes them stand out. New Zealand doesn’t have standardised testing in the primary years. I’m disappointed the the government we recently voted in is pro-standardised tests for young children. We haven’t gone there yet – and I am going to do my all to ensure we don’t. I like you idea of being a co-coordinator and hope you do educate parents about what the tests really mean, and highlight for them the true qualities of their children.