Standarized Testing in the United States

The following quotes are taken from the book The Shame of the Nation, written by Jonathan Kozol.

“At P.S. 65, during the three months prior to the all-important state exam, fifth grade teachers had to set aside all other lessons from 8:40 to 11:00, and from 1:45 to 3:00, to drill the children for their tests. In addition to this, two afternoons a week, children in the fourth and fifth grade had to stay from 3:00 to 5:00 for another session of the test preparation. They also have to come to school on Saturdays to get three hours more of this during the last four weeks before exams.” Chapter 5, Page 113.

This quote gives a good example of how much school administrators want their students to do well on the tests. Students for several weeks and hours spend time practicing for state exams. The administrators in the school systems are very willing to give up time for students to practice for the test because all they care about is funding. Once the tests are taken, many students fall behind and lack skills for their age. This has become a major problem in school systems because teachers have to give up their daily lessons and teach to the tests.  

“Test results will help to show their teachers where the children’s weaknesses may lie, so that they can redirect the focus of their work in order to address these weaknesses. However, because of the long lapse in time between the taking of these tests and the receipts of scores.” Chapter 5, Page 115.

I think that when standardized testing was first produced it was supposed to be a good way to help teachers to know where their students are developmentally. However, because testing has changed so much in the past years, teachers do not get the tests results back right away. By the time the test results come back to the teachers, some of the students have moved up to the next grade or it is too late in the year to address the problems.  Students start to fall behind little by little because they are not working on their areas of weakness. If teachers are going to be spending most of their time focused on practice tests, then they should at least get their test results back within a few weeks, so they can help the children improve for the text year.

“Every time we hold a child over, we are substantially reducing the odds of that child graduating anytime in the future. When that child is held back twice, the likelihood that he or she will never graduates increases by 90 percent.” Chapter 5, Page 117.

When I first read this quote, I could not believe that the percentage was so high! But then I thought that 90 percent made sense because, a child can get really low self-esteem about themselves and school. Instead of focusing all our time on standardized testing, we teachers need to focus on the students more. Children are clearly not learning because lessons that are made by teachers that help them develop proper skills for example, social and cognitive are not being taught. All of the classroom time is focused on drilling students to increase their last year test scores.

“In some schools art and music are excluded from the organized curriculum because these subjects are not tested by the state examinations. The banishment of recess from the normal school day is perhaps the ultimate penurious denial.  Recess has been abandoned to secure more time for test-related programs.” Chapter 5, Page 119-120.

Again, like the quotes above this, clearly show that standardized testing is taking over schools. I feel like the administrators are focused on one thing, one thing only, and that is improving and increasing test scores from year to year. This is no way to run a school. How do these school systems expect students to learn when they have no fun activities? Extracurricular activities can be sometimes the most important classes a child can partake in. When a child is struggling with academics he or she looks to other classes such as art, music, and gym. Kids need other outlets in school to help them learn. Drilling and testing is not going to benefit the students or the school, students will only become frustrated and this will show in test results.

The following quotes are taken from the book American Education written by Joel Spring.

“These researchers found that some immigrant cultures in the United States retained their parental culture in their private lives while taking on the values of the host culture in their public lives.” Chapter 5, Page 121.

I think it is important for teachers to study and discuss other cultures in their classrooms. All cultures should feel welcomed, especially in the classroom. Students need to understand diversity and that everyone is different. But also that it is okay to be yourself, people do not have to conform to society. I think immigrants should not have to confine their cultures to only their private lives. They should feel proud where they came from, and teach others about their culture.

“The Teaching Tolerance Project is to provide resources and materials to schools to promote interracial and intercultural understanding between whites and nonwhites. There also have been decisions to include materials dealing with cultural tolerance, homelessness, and poverty. The Teaching Tolerance Project is the only one of the many educational attempts to end racism in the United States.” Chapter 5, Page 130.

The Teaching Tolerance Project should be something that every school should participate in. I believe its really important to teach students to be open about these kind of issues. It also spreads awareness throughout the community.  Using this project in schools would help promote cultural understanding, but also maybe put a stop to bullying. Much of today’s bullying happens because of the lack of understanding from culture to culture. If students learn from each other they will be more sympathetic to each other.