I never really thought much about these tests before, but now that I've had the chance to experience the weeks leading up to a standardized state test do I have a lot to say.
I don't have a problem with testing. I think assessments are great! They let the teachers know where their students fall on the spectrum and they let the students know how they are progressing. They can be a great tool to guide future instruction and planning for teachers. BUT when you actually start looking at what really happens a few weeks before the actual testing period things start looking a little questionable.
About a month ago we were told that it was time to start "preparing" for the state tests. I thought "preparing" meant that I should continue teaching the way I was teaching before and maybe do a few test prep questions here and there and then a week before the test work on some practice tests so that students do not get test anxiety the day of. Let's just say I was completely wrong.
Preparing actually meant PREPARE. Make sure you get through all the content that might show up on the test, make sure to create anchor charts that match the content, make sure all of your do nows and exit slips and even in class assignments match the testing format, and so on. After looking back at my month of "preparing" in this way I feel that I wasted not only my time, but my students' time as well. None of it makes sense. Four weeks of straight test prep makes no sense to me. Four weeks of straight test prep for a test which we will not get the results until June or July doesn't make sense to me. I will never even be able to use the results to better my students because by the time I will see the results it will be too late. They won't be in my classroom. It makes no sense.
The urgency and the push to prepare our students for assessments that will neither help them nor I doesn't make sense to me. The irrelevancy of these standardized test makes me look at our education system and think why.
I was told to "focus" on my 6th and 7th graders because they would be tested this year and basically to have the rest of my students (6th and 8th grade science) work on science fair projects. I have NOT taught anything to them for the past four weeks! How is that right? If I did teach them something I probably would get in trouble for not having any projects to show at the science fair, If I didn't teach them anything then well...its illegal? Today I went up to the principal, sat him down, and gave it to him straight. I refuse to not teach my students. I refuse to work on science fair projects in the classroom because nothing ever gets done. Students don't bring their materials, I'm spending hundreds and hundreds on their supplies, and basically I can't keep track of ALL their projects all at once. It's not working and the fair is in 2.5 weeks.
Irrelevant testing isn't helping anyone at this point.
I'm screwed.
-Ms. P
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