Collier County boy taking standardized test
The word “testing” invokes an emotional reaction from each one of us – those emotions could include memories of nervousness from your own childhood, sympathy for a child who struggles, joy from that passing grade, or relief when your children do well. Many of your students in Collier County public schools recently have taken or currently are taking standardized tests, and no topic has received more attention in the education policy arena this year than concerns about excessive high stakes and overtesting. The state legislature responded, in part, to parent and teacher concerns, but there is still more to be addressed.
Florida’s standardized testing program has been credited as the catalyst to our state’s well-recognized rise in education performance relative to other states during the late 1990s and early 2000s. “Accountability” in education, the idea that schools, districts, educators, and students should be held responsible for academic results, has support from both sides of the political aisle in our state and nationwide.
There are three categories of accountability or “high stakes”
1. High stakes for students: State law requires students to demonstrate reading proficiency in order to pass from third to fourth grade, and later, show a certain level of ability in math and reading before graduation.
2. High stakes for teachers: Currently, 50% of a teacher’s evaluation is based on growth in student proficiency measured by state test scores. A bill just passed in the legislature will soon reduce this percentage to 33%.
3. High stakes for the schools and districts: Each school and district is assigned an annual A-F “grade” from the state, and higher grades mean more state funding. Being an “A” district also makes the area more attractive in which to live, which increases property values and tax revenues.
With so much at stake, it is no wonder that students, teachers and districts are laser-focused on increasing test performance beginning in January of each school year. However, many parents are troubled that there is too much emphasis on test scores and that ‘teaching-to-the-test’ has become unavoidable. I share this concern, having experienced it with my own son. Fellow parents and I were disheartened to see time spent on testing pep rallies and music videos, third grade study packets sent home over spring break, and weeks of instruction time devoted to test prep. Many more parents across the state expressed these concerns to the legislature, which provoked some promising changes this session.
First, the new state standardized test, the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), which has replaced the FCAT, must now be verified by an independent third party to ensure the test is valid and reliable before our students will be held accountable for the test results. Also, the 11th grade English Language Arts (ELA) assessment has been eliminated, since a passing grade on the 10th grade ELA test is necessary for graduation. Districts will no longer be required to give local standardized tests in every course offered (only the ones required by the state), and separate remediation courses in middle school will not be mandatory for students who struggled on the test (this decision can now be left up to the parents and teachers who know those students needs best).
These measures, which are effective immediately, are certainly moving us in the right direction. Most people agree that students should not be passed from one grade to the next without proving a basic level of knowledge in critical subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics. The success of Florida’s efforts to end this practice of social promotion has been replicated across the country. However, education stakeholders made clear and the legislature agreed that the pendulum swung may have swung too far and changes are necessary. We cannot allow this test-focused culture to take the creativity out of teaching and inhibit educators’ capacity to meet the unique needs of each child.
As we wrap up another testing season, we must consider how Florida’s assessments are affecting our students and their futures, both positively and negatively. We must also seek to balance the need for both accountability to high standards of academic excellence, and flexibility for teachers who know our students best.
I encourage you to share your testing experiences with me on Facebook, or by email at donale@collierschools.com. I will be working with our legislators over the coming months to provide an on-the-ground, parent’s perspective on testing issues and will help to craft solutions for the benefit of our students.