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A Damning Indictment of High-Stakes Testing in K-12 Schools: It's Way Past Time to Stop

One of the hottest topics in our Problem
Studentis absolutely counterproductive to testing,
and
Problem  Solver  workshop  staff development
they are probably right. Instead of
sessions has gotten to be participants'pressure,
upset
show  how education skills will be needed in
at the damage they see being caused by
overzealousthe  adult  world,  and  how  critical  they
state-wide assessment testing. As you mayare to the kids' futures, rather than relate
know,
learning skills to scoring well on
some  states  have become so concerned aboutassessment
measuring student progress, that many theytests.  Education  is  meant to prepare kids
have
for the adult world, not for taking tests.**
highly rigorous testing. In some regions,Train  Kids  to  Be  Students
teacher  and
We don't formally train youth to be
administrator employment and/or salary arestudents.
based
Very few schools have a formal, written-down
on test scores. In at least one state,
personnelplan  to  teach  attendance,  punctuality,
have been caught forging test results. Inmotivation, test-taking, homework
anothermanagement,
state, schools are actually given reportdiscussion skills, how to focus, etc. If
cards,  andthese
graded, with some schools failing. In othernuts-and-bolts  skills  were  systematically
regions,
taught  instead of just being expected, more
professional sport team mascots and
cheerleaderskids  might learn more, and yes, test scores
are hired to urge students to score well.Incould be enhanced.** Train Kids to Manage
one state, part of the progress assessmentAnxiety  and  Problems
testing, includes having students write an
essay. One  teacherWe also don't teach students how to manage
big
wrote the local newspaper to tell of her
dismay  whenproblems from home, and anxiety about tests
and
one of her students wrote his essay on his
return  toschool. Learning problem management and how
to
middle school following a period of dropping
out  dueovercome anxiety will be skills a child will
need  for
to serious difficulties he was facing. The
essayan entire lifetime, and yes, could enhance
test
was  judged  unsatisfactory  when scored for
scores.**  Stop  Micro-Managing  Teachers
the test on such measures as grammar,
punctuation,In many states, teachers are treated like
money-
etc. The teacher now had the difficult
situationgrubbing scum. Teachers do the most
important
of having a young, vulnerable student
receive  ajobs on the planet, often for humble pay,
and
failing score on a highly sensitive topic.
Worstwithout thanks while also serving as parent,
still, apparently the student's story wouldpsychologist,  nurse and pastor to many lost
also
souls. Instead  of  making  teachers'  jobs
have been failed even if the essay's focus
hadharder,  give  them  more support and better
been to lament the death of his mother, ortraining. Much of today's teacher training
tois
describe the beating of his sister. There isnot geared to face the big social and
noemotional
provision to adjust tests to the specialproblems that arrive each day with the kids.
needs  ofWe
students, or to give consideration toalso  have  schools  where classes include a
special
whopping 38 youngsters and the sky can be
circumstances. This inflexibility is trueseen
across
through the holes in the classroom. We
many states that use progress testing.Theexpect
teachers  and  counselors  who  come  to  our
teachers to teach against all odds, all
workshop,  often ask if there are approacheswhile
that could work better than what they viewconsistently criticizing them and reducing
astheir
"education at all costs," when students arebudgets.**  Stop  One-Size-Fits-All  Testing
expected and pressured to produce regardlessFew accommodations are made at all in
performance testing. A child who was raped
of any family problems, disabilities,the  night  before,
crises,  or
or slept under a bridge, or witnessed
personal horror that a child may be livingterrible
with.
domestic violence, must still perform. No
There  are  much  better  ways,  and some ofone
the  best, are described below. But, testingwants lower standards, but build in some
type
does not leave only challenged kids buckling
of  breathing room for students with serious
under  the  pressure.  My  own  13 year old,
or pronounced distress, disabilities,crises,
easy  B+,  honor roll mention, doesn't-even-
cultural  differences,  ethnic  differences,
study-much,  normally  unflappable  student
language  differences,  etc. In  one state,
burst into tears recently,terrified that she
many  of  the  schools  that  performed
will flunk the 10th grade tests she will
facepoorly  on  state-wide  tests  were
that are still more than 2 years away!Herecommunities  with  many  minority  group
Are Adaptations to Consider:** What Could
Replace  "Education  at  All  Costs?"members.  Little  effort  seems  to  have
So  often adults have two viewpoints towardsbeen  made  to  ensure  that  these  tests
educating youngsters in distress. Somewere  fair  to  children  who  were
adults
different  from  the  dominant  culture.
say that no matter if the child is being
beaten,So, their school flunked.** Stop Telling
Schools  They  Flunk
or goes unfed, or whatever the distress, the
Imagine you are a six-year-old and you hear
child  must still complete homework on time,that
take tests, etc. This can heap more miseryyour school flunked. Imagine the impact on
onyou,
the  shoulders  of  a deeply troubled youth.especially if you struggle academically, or
have  a
Others  take  the opposite tact and say they
low opinion of yourself, or you already live
don't  want  to add to the child's problems,with
and  so  they  won't  expect much from them.racial bias, or you're a new immigrant
feeling
Sadly,  this means the child may not get the
adrift in a new world...where even your
education  they still need. Instead of theseschool
extremes,  find  the  balance  between theseflunks.  Let's  find  more  grown-up ways of
viewpoints:  never  abandon your educationalreferring to schools that struggle.If you
want  to  see  how  the  education  world
mission, but don't accomplish it all
costs.**  Understand  How  Much  Pain  Existslooks from outside the box, be sure to check
Non-mental  health  professionals  may  beout  the  hundreds  of surprising, wonderful
shocked  at the surprisingly high numbers ofmethods  and  ideas  on  our  web  site
children in pain. The literature suggestsYou  won't  find
that
a  focus on content or testing, but you will
perhaps  10%  of  the  children (or a family
find  common  sense  methods  that  work  to
member)  may  struggle  with substances; 10%
build  motivation,  stop  work refusal, help
may  be  emotionally  disturbed;  20-30% may
traumatized  youngsters,  and  improve
face sexual abuse or incest; 10-15% may face
class participation.Get much more
verbal,  physical  or  emotional abuse. Eveninformation  on  this  topic  at
though these numbers don't take into accountAuthor  Ruth
the overlap across these groups, that's aHerman Wells MS is the director of Youth
lotChange,
of kids facing a lot of pain.** Stop the(  Sign  up  for  her  free
Pressure
Problem-Kid Problem-Solver magazine at the
There  are ways to evoke a desire to performsite  and
well  that doesn't have to be experienced assee hundreds more of her innovative
methods.  Ruth
pressure.  So many teachers believe that the
is the author of dozens of books and
pressure that is being exerted in theirprovides workshops and training.
state



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