In order to teach our youth a life lesson: we need to start with the idea that standardized testing, and the use of standardized testing in classrooms, are not a valid way to measure student progress. I have often heard educators say that they want to see how much a student learns in one on one settings, rather than in a classroom situation. However, this is a dangerous and circular argument, because it perpetuates the false belief that students are being tested for a particular “use” in a classroom setting. When I started out in the teaching profession, I was told over again that standardized testing was the only way to measure student progress.
A good example is when the U.S.: Congress has to pass a law or a rule through an extremely pressured Congress. The last thing that many members of Congress want to do is take a day off of work to get together and hash out legislation. If a law needs to be passed, it often gets passed quickly through both Houses of Congress using majority votes. However, it is not because the members want to help the legislation along; they often don’t really care if the bill passes or not. The reason that most members of Congress don’t want to take time out of their schedule to get their job done is because they know that if it doesn’t pass, they will lose their seats (since there will be Tea Party members in the House and Senate who will vote against the legislation). Thus, they choose to pass a bill as quickly as possible, regardless of the consequences.
This same principle applies to standardized testing: Parents, educators, and taxpayers all recognize that standardized testing is a valid way to determine whether or not students are learning. Therefore, the idea that standardized testing should be used in schools to provide vouchers to parents is not a new one. However, in recent years, this “use public funds” idea has gained some clout.
In particular, there was a measles outbreak in the town of Chicago last year: Many parents were upset with how the school was handled. In one instance, a parent said that her child did not get the information that he needed regarding the dangers of the illness from a teacher. He was not allowed to talk to any of the other children who could have possibly given him the information that he needed. Since standardized testing is a valid way to determine what a student is learning, it is important for parents and teachers to work together in a manner that ensures that the educational process will work.
When it comes to standardized testing: it is important for both teachers and parents to work together to make sure that students get the highest quality education possible. It is also important for students to understand that they have choices when it comes to which tests they take. Even though the schools are using standardized tests to provide vouchers, they do not have to use them if they do not want to. This means that parents and students are going to need to work together on meaningful educational opportunities.
The answer to the which of the following: represents a question within higher education is not one that should be answered definitively. Students and teachers will have to continue to work together in order for standardized testing to be an effective tool. Parents and teachers will need to make plans along with their children concerning how they are going to learn most effectively. In the end, it is up to the individual student to make their own decisions about which tests they are going to take.