"Filling in the bubbles" testing is not new. We completed such tests when we were in elementary school and they have been administered to students before and after us. However, this year's state assessments in public schools to 1.3 million of third to eighth grade students in New York State, including over 200,000 on Long Island are causing more stress than usual for two reasons. The tests are based on new standards and, for the first time, students' scores will affect individual teacher's performance reviews. It's a perfect storm to cause concern for districts, administration and teachers who are all worried about how the assessment results will reflect on them. It's absolutely understandable especially considering how maligned the education profession has been by the public in recent years. Educators walk on eggshells these days and that's a shame for many who are hardworking and dedicated to their profession.
Unfortunately, young students can be caught up in the stress. But, that shouldn't be the case. Parents need to remain calm and assure their children that this is just another assessment like they took a year ago and like the ones we took when we were in school. Parents could share that their children are among many, many students taking the assessments. If they have been near the top of their class throughout this school year, their assessment results will reflect that. If they have struggled, the assessment results may get them the additional help they need next school year. Most of all, parents should not add to the stress their children may be getting from principals, teachers, other parents and other students. It's just another round of tests that will further validate what parents probably already know about their child's academic proficiency.
The bigger philosophical issues are whether the curriculum should be so rigorous and the assessments be such high stakes. Well, Americans haven't been happy with how their students compare to others around the world. So, we have a tougher curriculum meant to standardize widely varying state standards and increase the rigor of K-12 education so that we can feel better about how we compare. And, the public seems to want teachers to be held accountable for their students' results. So, we are now linking those results to teacher evaluations. This is quite a simplification of the larger issues, but it just seems the public got what it asked for.
As a future educator, it pains me to see how teachers are vilified by some as if they are enemies to parents. It's a sad part of our culture. It hasn't deterred me from pursuing my dreams of teaching though. I've got over two years before I step into the changing profession (hopefully) and I'm sure even more changes will take place by then. Coming from a corporate career where change and reorganization was constant from the my first year to my last, I hope I can fit right in!
