As we approach Georgia Milestones there is an increased sense of urgency buzzing around my school. Teachers are worried and anxious. We are all wondering did we do enough to prepare students for this high-stakes assessment. As a teacher I feel like we are constantly self-reflecting and changing the way we do things each day. We are always finding a better or new way to teach standards so it seems normal that we would start ask ourselves, "Did we do enough to prepare our students for this test?" Teachers feel the pressure for their students to grow.
We just participated in a school improvement planning session where testing was a huge topic of conversation. A common theme expressed by teachers was the stress and anxiety that students feel during timed tests and high-stake assessments. After hearing everyone's concerns I can't help but wonder if we are over-testing our students. My school uses STAR math, the Reading Inventory, and DIBELS as benchmark assessments. For our tier 2 and tier 3 students we use STAR math and DIBELS to progress monitor. The data is needed to determine if what we are doing is working but are the frequent required tests doing more harm than good for certain students.
I feel like when it comes to testing I could argue both sides. If a timed assessment makes a child anxious then they might need more opportunities to do it so that they can become more confident and comfortable. I could also argue the opposite. Why stress a child out more than necessary? I am interested to hear what some of you think about this topic.
Allison, I can definitely see that environment developing at my school right now as well. We are in the midst of a series of Saturday school sessions trying to ensure better test scores, and this is being stressed more than ever as our CCRPI score dropped 6 points from last year. Your school improvement planning session sounds really interesting-- how does that work? Can anyone attend or is it faculty only? The concerns you state are definitely relatable and I frequently find myself asking if we are over-testing as well. Testing season is high-stress for everyone involved, and based on flaws and massive changes in the tests themselves over the past few years, it makes you wonder if it's really worth it. Is one test legitimately indicative of progress? I think that my apprehension around testing is more than just about the stress but about fairness. I remember during my first or second year teaching our algebra pass rate was a 13% and it was one of the highest pass rates in the county. At what point is it the test and not the teachers or the students? Who is being tasked to create these assessments and who knows how well they are doing at it? I guess I just have so many questions, and the stress is just yet another factor that can make testing so miserable.
ReplyDeleteTesting is a billion dollar a year business. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into developing a test. It can take between 18-24 months. I worked as the District Psychometrician where my role was to develop valid and reliable tests.
ReplyDeleteAllison,
ReplyDeleteI think there are so many teachers that can relate to your feelings right now. Testing season can be a very stressful time for everyone involved: teachers, parents, students, administrators, and support staff. I feel that the whole mood of the school changes when testing comes around. Everything moves faster and with a bigger sense of seriousness.
When I was teaching in Gwinnett, I felt that we tested more than we taught sometimes. We would have common assessments for each standard, benchmark assessments in each subject, standardized testing, and all of the assessments that go along with progress monitoring for the RTI process. At times, it was overwhelming. While I saw the purpose in the assessments, I also was conflicted by the time we dedicated to assessments. I felt that with all of the demands of testing, it became very routine for students and took away from the stress of the atmosphere.
While all of the data we receive from all of the assessments is valuable, I often wonder if we really need ALL of these assessments. I always stress to parents that one assessment is just that: ONE assessment. When we think about our students, we think about them as a whole individual, not just their performance on one assessment.
We, as teachers, also try to take the stress away at testing times. For example, testing week (for standardized tests) at my school always has some fun things to go along with it. It might be candy or something fun in the afternoon. I know I always try to do some fun, hands-on projects in the afternoons during standardized testing time to take the stress away from the students and relax while learning.
I agree with your battle—I could argue both sides to this argument of the stress of testing. Why test a child if it causes more stress than anything? But, the more they are exposed to the testing environment, maybe the less the student will feel anxious about the test.