Back to School Advice: Opt out of Standardized Tests

By Denisha Jones

School is back in session for many students across the country. As parents spend the equivalent of a paycheck on school supplies and students prepare to wake up at the crack of dawn to start their day, I have some advice for parents: consider opting your child out of your state’s standardized tests.

A national movement is growing to make parents aware of their rights to opt out of these tests.  As educators continue to lose the battle over corporate reforms, many are trying to engage parents to fight back against the monopoly that standardized tests hold over the public school system. The only way public schools can loosen the grip of the testing industry is to take away its most valuable weapon : your child’s test scores.

What qualifies as a standardized test? Any test that all students in a school or a particular grade are expected to take.  As  use of these tests continues to grow, many educators and parents are asking if the benefits outweigh the damages inflicted by such exams. The potential harm of standardized testing can include narrowed curriculums, increased student stress, and a paved path toward the  privatization of public schools. An examination of these negative outcomes will hopefully lead many parents to ask another important question; who benefits from standardized testing?

Narrowing the Curriculum: Teaching to the Test

Assessing student learning is fundamental to excellent teaching. A successful teacher must have knowledge of what their students know and what they need to know in order to plan and implement effective lessons. To gain this knowledge teachers implement a multitude of assessments throughout the school year. In addition to pencil and paper tests, teachers use observation, evaluation of student written work, and cooperative learning rubrics to measure how well a student is progressing in the classroom. Assessment results often inform the curriculum as a teacher makes plans for what comes next based on what was learned.

Standardized testing has changed what once was standard practice in most classroom and the results of these tests have gained a national level of importance. States, schools, teachers, and students are being evaluated based on the results of one type of assessment. Schools that fail to show adequate yearly progress are in danger of losing precious funds and are vulnerable to the threat of state takeover.  To prevent such outcomes, the test has become the curriculum. Schools are spending more time and money preparing students to pass one test.  If students take a standardized test in the third grade, then they likely take a practice test in second grade, which means they may need to take a practice exam for the practice test in the first grade. And the next thing you know you are a kindergarten teacher being told to prepare your students for the practice test. When this happened to me I knew I could no longer be an effective early childhood educator and I left the public schools.

Some of you might be wondering what is wrong with teaching to a test if the test is designed properly.  But you must ask yourself this, can qualities we want in a successful student be measured in standardized tests? For example, if you are a small business owner and you are looking for an employee who is a fast learner, knows how to analyze problems, and can work collaboratively with others, how do you measure these traits using a standardized test? You can’t. Skills that are often coveted by managers are the ones impossible to measure on a multiple choice test.  Yet the standardized tests are important. So important that nothing else matters.  Teaching students to pass the test becomes the objective. Anything that is not tested is deemed less important. This includes music, art, physical education, social studies, and science (which led some folks from other disciplines to demand standardized testing in their subject to insure the material would be taught).  Gradually the test becomes the curriculum, designed by the test makers and given to the teachers in the form of professional development (also known as “test coaching practice”).

Close Failing Schools: The Goal of Privatization

As this vicious cycle continues, standardized testing is gaining even more importance in the national education debate.  Test scores are used to demonize teachers and schools that fail to improve while those who do well on the tests are exemplified as model learning institutions. Failing schools continue to focus on raising the test scores by any means necessary, which as we are learning, often includes cheating.  Repeated failure in attaining adequate yearly progress (AYP) leads to school closures.  Once the school is closed it becomes easier to try “alternatives” such as for-profit charter schools. A flyer for parents produced by United Opt Out National gives an interesting description of how standardized tests lead to privatization:

“Eighty percent of all schools are anticipated to fail meeting their AYP goals by 2014. Schools that are shut down are bought out by private sector charter schools. Tax money from federal government intended for public schools gets funneled to for profit businesses to run charter schools. (www.unitedoptout.com)

For those who want to dismantle public education this might be a favorable alternative, but for those of us who want to invest in public schools we refuse to rely on one measure of assessment, namely standardized tests, to determine the fate of thousands of schools.

No Child Left Untested: The Stress of Standardized Tests

As standardized tests become high-stakes testing, meaning they determine if a student can graduate or be promoted to the next grade, students begin to feel the pressure of doing well on these tests.  In the past students did not have to take the tests seriously because they did not affect their grades but those in the testing industry have since found a way to make the tests matter.  Students now spend countless hours preparing for the test in and out of school. This additional stress can lead some children to opt of schooling entirely, or even worse become depressed and turn to suicide, as chronicled in the documentary A Race to Nowhere.

Given the instability of our economy and our high youth unemployment rate, today’s youth have much to worry about.  Stressing about one test is not going to prepare them to face the challenges of the nation and the world.  If the United States is to remain competitive in the global economy we need to develop young people who are equipped to find innovative solutions to complex problems. Standardized tests will not help us in this important endeavor.

So as you prepare to send your child back to school this year, consider opting out of standardized testing. All parents have the right to opt out of the tests, and until more parents make that choice your children will continue to be seen as nothing more than a data set.  Children are more than test scores and education is a journey, not a race to the top. 

What YOU Can Do

For more information on how you can opt out of standardized test visit the following Web sites:

• www.unitedoptout.com
• https://optoutofstandardizedtests.wikispaces.com/
• www.fairtest.org

 

Denisha is currently finishing her Ph.D from Indiana University in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a former kindergarten teacher in the District of Columbia, and is completing a Future Faculty Fellowship at Howard University.

Comments

[Sandra]

Great article! Thank you.

[Denisha_jones]

You are very welcome!

[supra vaider]

For this statement, Jochen Zeitz argued that a considerable part of the product had being through wind and rain to counter the trend of fail for decades

[thesis writing]

The nineteenth century historian, Scott holds that a remarkable correspondence exists between the procedure established by those institutions and the methods of the present day. They had their collegiate courses, their prizes for proficiency in scholarship, their oratorical and poetical contests, their commencements and their degrees. Thanks a lot.

[personal statement writers]

Higher education, also called tertiary, third stage, or post secondary education, is the non compulsory educational level that follows the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school or secondary school. Thanks a lot.

[admissions essay]

Visit Mapquest, and type in your city. Plan a one tank trip to a city listed on the website you haven't been too. The entire family can go and explore the city, meet people and learn the history of the area. Thanks a lot.
Regards,

[thesis writers]

Taking standardized tests is more about self-discipline than about ability. High scores are earned with diligent effort and time spent studying the subject material. You can learn what to expect so that you don't encounter any surprises on test day. Read on to learn how to take standardized tests. Thanks a lot.
Regards,

[Debt Relief]

Men and women sit separately during regular worship services; they follow this as a tradition of Jewish and early Christian churches and they also believe that it helps single members feel more welcome during the service. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,

[resume help]

The division between primary and secondary education is somewhat arbitrary, but it generally occurs at about eleven or twelve years of age. Some education systems have separate middle schools, with the transition to the final stage of secondary education taking place at around the age of fourteen. Thanks.

[Homes For Sale Chandler AZ]

Indigenous education refers to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge, models, methods and content within formal and non-formal educational systems. Often in a post colonial context, the growing recognition and use of indigenous education methods can be a response to the erosion and loss of indigenous knowledge and language through the processes of colonialism. Thanks.

[Pandora Bracelet charms Newzealand]

So cute! I already like you on FB and also get your posts on Google Reader. :)

[Chaussure Jordan]

Lisez votre article sentez que votre criture trs vrai, bien que trs bon, facile comprendre! En esprant vous voir la prochaine fois que les uvres.

[cheap jordan retro]

Absolutely. Sometimes, the best practice of writing for me is to write a blog memory - it loosens the joints, so to speak. I would do well to remember this more often ...

[cheap jordans shoes]

well this blog is great i love reading your articles.

[louis vuitton tassen]

what you've been up to. In your blog I feel your enthusiasm for life. thank

[gucci bolsos]

I read on most blog. And it have so many valuable things to learn. Thank you for your sharing.

[cheap oakley sunglasses]

oakley sunglasses outlet online.Our cheap oakley sunglasses are sold in the market for all age groups and come in a whole

range of colors, styles and designs. No matter what kind of individual you are, there are always sunglasses that is designed

for you.discount oakley sunglasses are available as very light weight models and resist to many impact like flying stones,

etc. They are pricier than no name brands, that is for sure, but they are so much more worth the money! If you are searching

for Oakley Sunglasses Sale,you'll then surely find there are far too many discount oakley sunglasses,our online store 100%

Quality Guarantee,Low Price,Fast Shipping & No Sales Tax,Fast Service,Safe Transaction,Good Reputation! Cheap oakley

sunglasses are your best choice.

[Account Deleted]

Cheap Oakley sunglasses is a well-known sunglasses brand, it is famous all over the world. Amazing performance, best protection and comfort are the attractive features of Oakley sunglasses. We are Oakley sunglasses outlet online store, you can choose all kinds of discount Oakley sunglasses here. The products at our online store have quality assurance; you can buy what you like trustingly. In addition, they are fashionable in style and beautiful in appearance, you can have various choices here. They are best sunglasses for men and women, so take action to choose a pair of sunglasses that is most suitable for you. http://www.oakleye.org/

[painter phoenix az]

If you are just going in for the money, it is likely that you would throw it the towel just before the money rolls in.

[recruitment company brisbane]

Can you gauge a child's school performance from these standardized tests?

[Cheap Abercrombie Fitch]

Indigenous education refers to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge, models, methods and content within formal and non-formal educational systems. Often in a post colonial context, the growing recognition and use of indigenous education methods can be a response to the erosion and loss of indigenous knowledge and language through the processes of colonialism. Thanks.

[mailing list brokers]

Lead generation is extending an invitation to people to choose to interact with your company because you provide them with something valuable in exchange.

[grand canyon tours]

Expats have also contributed creative rainbow ventures that are more colorfully visible.

[job search]

Various sites already exist that can be used to help companies find employees that fit their vision and their technology needs.