Let's rethink standardized testing: Grow Using Experts in the Field

It is not enough to staff a school with teachers and students and expect student growth to happen. In this modern educational environment, teachers need to go above and beyond their teacher educational program and connect the curriculum to real-world experiences for their students. Over the past two decades, the United States educational system has invested billions of dollars worth of research into improving curricula and creating useful secondary resources and programs. These standard curriculum programs are research-based and designed to help students acquire knowledge faster, hit grade-level standards, help students on state assessments. However, with the pandemic things have changed. We are having to shift classroom expectations to meet the needs of individual students. Also, the way technology is going many textbooks and resources are outdated within 3 years.

 Teacher Specialization and Passion Topics Should be Explored

Americans want less standardized testing and more school funding

What if teachers selected an area to explore, expand, and implement into their schools? To give you an example of what we have right now we would use reading. Teachers would then specialize in a certain part of the educational process, gather a group of 2-3 teachers specializing in reading and literacy, and their team re-creates reading for the school across the curriculum. This reading team would host professional development, support their teachers with extra help, and provide intervention goals for students who were struggling with reading. In a sense, we do this now but what are our other areas of expertise, and what recent training has our teachers had that relates to current trends, students’ interests, and jobs and careers for their lifetime.

Can you list each teachers’ passion or what they are willing to explore?

In order to help teachers specialize in different parts of the educational system, many districts and schools must enroll their own teachers into a support system for the first two years in a mentorship program such as Educational Innovation 360. Once a teacher is fluid with school practices, then leaders can tap into a teacher’s individual passion. If a teacher has a passion for a subject or content area they can explore it further and in year 2 implement their idea within the school day. One of the best ways to support a new teacher is by allowing them to practice and learn their specialty from a teacher that already has a decade or so of experience in that specialization (Nassp, 2018).

How can we assess teacher passion?

Previously, we discussed assessment has been the traditional way to identify if students have met or exceeded the standard. In the case of teacher passion, with ongoing mentorship and training formative and summative assessments can be created. Teachers can connect their multi-subject credentials with their passion ideas and re-create curriculum based on student interest. Studnet finals can be based on communities of practice, academics in the field, or leaders in their specific disciple identifying the expertise of the students. Now, I’m not saying that this IS the solution but I am saying that there have to be alternative ways to support student growth and teacher professional development.

A fight to eradicate standardized test

It’s sad but we know, many teachers have proclaimed that state tests are the worst part of their job. Across the US, teachers are fighting back against the avalanche of tests they, and their schools, have to tailor their curriculums around. On March 5th, 2021, an online teacher-led campaign launched in which teachers openly protested state testing. Their movement is designed to “push the US Department of Education to waive federal testing requirements and pause all testing.” Without these tests, the teachers say that they will provide more opportunities for their students to learn organically (Jeanne Croteau, 2021).

References

Nassp, & *, N. (2018, August 7). 4 ways to support beginning teachers. NASSP. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.nassp.org/2018/08/07/4-ways-to-support-beginning-teachers/.

Jeanne Croteau on March 5, 2021, Teachers have launched a campaign to cancel state testing in 2021. WeAreTeachers. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.weareteachers.com/cancelstatetesting2021/.

Walker, T. (n.d.). Poll: Americans want less standardized testing and more school funding. NEA. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/poll-americans-want-less-standardized-testing-and-more-school