Settling for Scores
There is such a danger in settling for test scores. Test scores are only one way to measure academic progress and yet they are the only way that gets any attention at all especially in August when everyone is interested in rating the schools.
Here’s how it works. The state of Delaware releases the scores for each school in late July. The news media picks these up and then reports the findings. Scores from our students’ DSTP achievement are splashed all over the front page and some broad generalization is molded into a headline either thumbs up or thumbs down to a district, a school, a system. “CAPE SCORES TOP IN THE STATE! CAPE SCHOOLS UNDER REVIEW! CAPE SCHOOLS DEFY GRAVITY! (Well, you’ll never see that last headline but it sounds fun, doesn’t it?) The news is either good or bad depending on which way it is spun and frankly this is disturbing on so many levels.
Not fair! There is so much more to education than a score based on one day of testing. There are so many other indicators of academic success and learning. The fact that these scores are artificially gleaned from standardized tests that are commercially manufactured and set to national and state standards is just ducky until you realize that the tests represents a student’s performance on one given day in March. One day of testing per subject for a whole year’s worth of learning. A snapshot, but not the whole picture.
There is a strong undercurrent of competition. One district compared to others, regionally and statewide. Why? So that real estate value can rise in districts with top scores? So that parents can make informed decisions as to where to send their children? So that the state department can allocate funding to rescue districts that continually struggle?
Schools are compared to others. Explanations are delivered. Administrators are quoted. Plans are made to do better, to do more, to increase and improve.
Enough! When schools are pitted against one another, this creates tension and finger pointing. Everyone loses! Why not establish an environment of collaboration and collegiality? This year Mariner Middle school was up Math: Beacon Middle was up in Reading. After hearing these tired old headlines year after year, they really lose their effectiveness and their ability to create sustained growth.
Each year different children are tested in each grade level. Each year they compare the grade level scores. There are ups and downs.
Being a teacher, I look at the score of all those students who did not pass the tests. 30%, 20%. Unbelievable! This is my motivation to do better, to become more effective, to improve and to reach more students.
Teachers know when progress is being made. We know it daily. How? The look on students’ faces, the questions they ask or don’t ask, the quality of their written work, quizzes, tests and exams. Big programs don’t increase test scores: teachers and students do yet so often the teachers are not even consulted on what has worked and what hasn’t.
What if there were headlines from teachers? “MY STUDENTS REALLY ROCKED ESSAY WRITING!” and “GEOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE OUT OF THIS WORLD!” We are cheerleaders by nature so our assessments would reflect our optimism and belief in our students. This is the little picture and the one that most closely reflects the reality of learning.
