In Texas, a Backlash Against Student Testing
When Christopher Chamness entered the third grade last year, he began to get stomach aches before school. His mother, Edy, said the fire had gone out of a child who she said had previously gone joyfully to his classes.
One day, when he was bored in class, Christopher broke a pencil eraser off in his ear canal. It was the tipping point for Chamness, a former teacher, and she asked to observe his Austin elementary school classroom. What she saw was a “work sheet distribution center” aimed at preparing students for the yearly assessments that they begin in third grade ...
Comments (19)
sean1957
I retired in May from teaching high school. It was no longer "teaching" it was following a scrip like an actor. It was handing out practice worksheets for months. It was having the kids take practice test upon practice test. The kids were bored, I was bored, This was just another "mindless assembly line" job.
I have become convinced this testing is to "dumb-down" the kids. In the past there were kids who never reached certain levels in high school. They were able to drop out and go to work. No longer, these kids who don't want to be in school must remain until they are 18. These kids don't want to be in school. They care nothing about education.
There needs to be something done about the testing. There are kids who will never pass the math. Say what you will, your kids are not all smart. There smart kids, there are average kids, and sorry, but there are kids who are dullards. Unfortunately, we are being force to teach to the lowest common denominator. And it's what the State of Texas wants....
BTW: I was lucky. I taught history. It was the easiest of the core tests. You know why? Most of the teachers had the same name...."Coach" ...God forbid we hurt the football team....
NASP 1234
The National Association of School Psychologists has a position statement about high stakes testing. They do not support it. High stakes testing, in this case TAKS and STAAR, does not measure what it is supposed to measure. The STAAR currently has no mean, no standard deviation, and cuttoff scores will not be developed until after the test is given in it's first run. By the way, the TAKS and the STAAR are supposed to be a standardized tests. These tests have no basic statistics...just cutoff scores. As far as validity, does it measure what it really measures, I would like to see those stats as well. Bet there are none. Also, the tests are supposed to have reliability. That is, repeatedly measures what it is supposed to measure. I have seen no stats for that measure as well. Just a note, the content of the test changes from test to test. Government officials also ignore information provided thorough research showing that the kids who perform best in college have a well rounded curriculum and are not just taught the test. I would like to see someone from TEA publish an article showing the benefits of state testing for our children.
Proud Texan
I wonder when Pearson joined the Texas Association of Business so they could let Bill Hammond spread their message instead of Sandy Kress?
Kathi Thomas via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The problem isn't so much the TESTS themselves, but that EVERYTHING rides on the results of the tests. Rather than being assessments, which is what tests should be, they're made to be THE factor in if a teacher or principal keeps or loses a job, if a school is rated highly or poorly and loses funding. Put tests back to what they should be, an assessment, so that teachers understand where a child has weaknesses, and then can teach to the CHILD, rather than to the test. Make the ratings be based on the child's advancement, not some mysterious all children in a bowl rating. This will encourage real teaching. Our teacher want to teach, they don't want to have to do what they're being forced to do now.
Parents need to unite and fight the way tests are rated. When teachers, administrations and parents all say something is bad, and only legislators and those who sell tests say they are "good"- something is upside down.
WE need to push back, WE need to refuse to let OUR kids take the tests. Imagine if EVERYONE took their children out of school on the testing days this year. That would send a message very loudly and very clearly. We want our kids taught to love learning, not trained to take tests
Leslie Marsh Ragland via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why is someone from the Texas Association of Business involved in pushing this?
Edy Chamness via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Actually, there is a lot wrong with the tests. They aren't made by teachers, are they? That's a big problem.
Texas Parents Union via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thank you for publishing this article!
Rob D'Amico via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree that parents are likely the only ones who will be able to put a stop to the overemphasis on testing and its misuse. That could be done by making testing an issue at the ballot box. But even then, I doubt lawmakers will take the issue seriously until parents and students start opting out. There is just too much money to be made in the testing system--not to mention a political agenda that drives the accountability system to serve as a vehicle to introduce charters/vouchers--for common sense to prevail in the Legislature. This would be a great year for "rebellion," since in the elementary grades the test won't count for anything this year. Schools and districts won't be rated until next year, and elementary students won't have to pass the test to advance (unless districts put in some local policy stipulating this). At the high school level, there's already a rebellion over GPAs, so not sure how this will play out. But just as there’s a backlash to testing, there’s also a backlash by districts against parents considering opting out….such as not-so-subtle threats that too many school days missed will result in parents pulled in front of a court hearing as punishment. Most districts obviously aren’t going to approve of opting out. But they could at least provide an alternative setting for kids who are, so parent aren’t stuck with the choice of either racking up unexcused absences by pulling kids out of school or having them opt out in class and sit for four hours staring at a blank piece of paper. Many parents will never consider “bold” action, because they are too afraid to buck the system, and they worry about other parents or kids alienating them and their children. And they are rightfully concerned about how their children will be able to differentiate between when a test is useful and necessary or when it’s part of a corrupt system that needs to be challenged. So at the very least, I encourage parents to have the courage to: 1) Discuss the issue openly with other parents; 2) Write a letter objecting to the overuse of benchmarking, test prep and standardized tests to their principal, superintendent and state legislators; 3) Raise the issue with candidates for the Legislature; 4) Demand that their district create an alternative learning environment for students who do opt out; and 5) Support parents and children who do opt out by applauding their courage. My children go to school with Ms. Chamness’s kids, and I feel our school does a pretty good job of minimizing “teaching to the test.” Nevertheless, too much time is spent on benchmarking and the actual STAAR. Additionally, many schools do teach to the test, and the kids and teachers suffer because of it. I feel a responsibility not only to my children, but for all schoolchildren in Texas, to at least speak up on the issue.
Albert Marten
Commissioner Scott deserves support for his statement regarding statewide testing. When educational reform efforts began in the early ‘80s, school districts across Texas ignored or segregated entire groups of students. Black and brown kids were neglected and expectations for them were so low, they were better off dropping out. Accountability measures buttressed by statewide testing made de facto segregation and educational neglect evident and sanctioned districts that were guilty of these practices. Using this perspective, statewide testing made a positive difference. The impetus for statewide testing was educational reform, the need for which was demanded by the business community lamenting the lack of educated workers. While some educators may argue with the basic philosophy of those who tie education to economic outcomes rather than humanitarian and psychological growth, both philosophy’s adherents are satisfied when all students receive an improved education. Therefore, most of us can jump on the reform bandwagon.
If a little is good, a lot should be great, as the thinking goes. Statewide testing morphed into the end all and be all of education practice. An educational necessity, testing to gauge individual learning, mutated into a monster who swallowed teaching. Yes, we kept districts from identifying all black and brown students as needing special education and segregating them with lowered expectations and dumbed down classrooms. We identified teachers who were not teaching or could not teach. We made administrator inadequacy transparent. All good things that help improve education. At the same time test preparation companies got fat, paper companies, test scoring companies, shippers, all the folks involved in preparing, shipping, scoring and analyzing tests fell into a gold mine. They have a huge economic interest in keeping and expanding the testing system. Test results are used to grade teachers, administrators, entire campuses, and entire districts. Institutional cheating on tests became worth the effort because of the sanctions and economic negatives that happen with poor test results. Individual students are viewed as passers or failers and the failers are assisted until they can pass the test. Which doesn’t sound like a bad thing, but the passers are ignored. Gifted students? They can pass with little or no attention, and districts have so few resources, gifted students or students with special talents are ignored in favor of raising aggregate test scores. High stakes testing demands strict adherence to a prescribed curriculum, which is demoralizing to creative teachers and stress creating to average teachers. For students, it is an anxiety producing, on-going source of continual humiliation and fear.
If legislators demand that teaching techniques be based on scientific research into their efficacy, then the same should be demanded for continuing to use high stakes testing as the engine that drives education in Texas.
gypsy314 ne
I think it is sad our public school system has failed the Texas children. I understand now why some say voucher system would be best. It would cause teachers and schools to compete then the children win.
Anyone but Obama!
Remember a vote for a democrat is a vote for the traitor Obama and illegal aliens, homosexuals and terrorist.
russ huebel
As a retired college professor, I must say I'm happy that I will not teach these kids.
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Testing = Big $$$ for corporations
Rick Bennett
Maybe there is a non-polarizing solution to overcome the negatives of testing (after all, testing is how we measure progress). 35 years ago, a guy named Michael Maccoby wrote a book called THE GAMESMAN, which may have foreshadowed the need to add the “fun quotient” to life’s drudgeries. Today, the trend is “gamification of computer applications.” More recently I’ve become an acolyte of Glenn Singleton and Curtis Linton (authors of COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE), and believe that testing for racial/social/economic/gender achievement gaps is the way to achieve true educational equity. Eliminate testing and we eliminate the ability to see if we are closing those gaps. So rather than throw out testing, I like the ideas Curtis Linton expresses in his seminal book EQUITY 101, THE EQUITY FRAMEWORK. In short, “gamification” may solve many of the above-stated objections to testing. I personally think the need for EQUITY demands that we address and solve the testing issues, rather than eliminate testing.
LLC LLC1923
TAB’s priorities are not about accountability. TAB’s priorities align with the corporate interests of Pearson and the subcontractors such as Education Testing Services (ETS), Beck Evaluation and Testing Associates, TRI-LIN Integrated Services, MetaMetrics, Inc., Caveon, LLC, etc. Hammond and Kress promote testing nonsense from cradle to grave for business interests and profits without disclosing their connections with companies involved in testing.
Read about the “pearson graduate” published in the Texas Observer at this link:
http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/the-pearson-graduate
Parents need copies of TEA’s testing contracts with financial documents related to all TAKS/STAAR contractors and subcontractors.
mark schoenfeld
"The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of government tomorrow." - Abraham Lincoln
Tammy Gardner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Teachers can't teach anymore! It is all about teaching to the test! Texas education is a mess1
Lee Crites
I see a series of decidedly unintended consequences coming to a head in this situation:
1) After a whole generation and most of a second being taught nothing but evolution, we have people in authority who honestly believe we are doing really, really well for advanced apes.
You can see this in the methods they use to "train" the "advanced apes" they have in their classrooms. Weeks upon weeks of rote training on questions that will appear on the test. No learning is taking place because no teaching is taking place because the students are, no matter what kind of lip service the educational industry attempts to perpetrate on the unsuspecting public, just really advanced apes that can be trained to pass the test.
2) Kids who had been rewarded all of their life for mediocre performance are now grown up and having kids of their own. They demand their kids be rewarded, irrespective of their actual performance.
This is actually just another aspect of #1, but in another, and perhaps more perverse, direction. If we "train" the kids to "feel rewarded," then their precious little self-esteem will be stroked, and they will become good little boys and girls who grow up to be good big boys and girls.
The reality is that two things happened: a) kids knew they would be rewarded, irrespective of their achievements, so why work to stretch yourself, and b) everyone knew that rewards were meaningless -- hence the reward was no longer a reward, it was an entitlement.
3) Educators have lost the focus of educating, and are now myopically focused on the test, almost to the point of being autistic. They have observable "twitches" in their work (sheet after sheet of practice tests and work); they can no longer communicate with the outside world (how many "educators" have said things like "it is my school" or "I have this degree or that certification so I am right" or "what kind of educational background do you have that makes you smarter than me?").
The "theory" behind stnadardized testing based on sound educational goals is that we will be able to see how good of a job the educational system is doing. If they are properly teaching the full subjects to the students, then the tests will show this. If they are failing, then the tests will show this as well.
But as with every government program, it rewards the mediocre -- those who do the best with the least. Note it is not the "best," but the "best with the least." That means fewer teachers who now have to resort to the above "training" methods instead of the more difficult job of actually educating our children.
I don't think the issue is the standardized testing, I thing it is the educational industry. We need to scrap the TEA and start over -- but with reasonable people who are reasonably intelligent, and who are not steeped in the mindless "really good apes" mentality. It is no longer a situation where the best teachers are the ones who are trained and certified -- they are likely NOT the best candidates. We need a fresh start, with fresh people, who are cluefull.
THEN the programs they come up with will probably work -- they will certainly work better than the hubris we see coming from Austin and the TEA.
Rick Archer
I am a school administrator. I am sick of testing for the sake of testing, under the premise that we need to improve to beat the world at test scores. Education is not about testing, it's about learning! The world comes to us for higher education. That should tell us we have been doing something right for over a hundred years. The world says our students are still the most creative (Even those countries who "outscore" us on those standardized tests). However, testing all day everyday is taking away the creativity that has served us so well for generations. Enough already!
I'm tired of Pearson and other publishers making billions off of testing our young people (we know how to write tests ourselves thank you) to death. I'm tired of No Child Left Behind which is just another money maker for publishing companies, including the ones the Bush family has stock in. These companies line the pockets of our politicians under the premise of wanting to help our children. Enough Already!
If you want to see what the best school system in the world does to education their children read: Finnish Lessons by Pasi Sahlberg. The Fins were in the same situation as we are now, over thirty years ago. They went from being worst to first in standardized tests scores vs. the world. They don't hammer students with standardized testing, just the opposite in fact. Send this book to your local, state, and national legislators, maybe they will remember how they were allowed to have fun learning, when they were in school, instead of being tested to death. Enough Already!
Student Advocate
I am currently a high school counselor in a large urban district. I've been keeping up with these new test and have been quite flabbergasted at the STAAR EOC legislation and implementation. I am totally opposed at the implementation of the STAAR test because of the backlog its creating for students who do not pass, particularly for the youth in the urban school districts (Half my 9th graders failed the 9th grade Writing EOC -- similar to the state numbers). Many of these students now have to take an intervention class for the test they have failed, taking the place of their chosen electives. Now students "dislike school" as school no longer becomes an institution for varied learning and critical thinking and discovery, but an institution of assessments and preparation for assessments (From January to June is all TAKS and EOC Prep). I have worked at various schools, in various capacities under TAAS, TAKS, and now STAAR, and I have personally witnessed as a counselor students wanting to commit suicide because the pressure to perform was so heavy.
Before, students would have to pass 4 exit level test to graduate. Now a high school student under STAAR has to pass 15 test and get the 26 mandated credits to graduate. This will certainly effect our graduation rates and "the bottom line" while the clear winners (Pearson and the more affluent districts) will continue to thrive. Commissioner Robert Scott resigned stating that he didnt anticipate the implementation to be this perverse, and it appears there will be more cuts this year too.