My Personal Comments About the Testing Process
As with many teachers in Alabama we are getting ready to delve into state wide testing. In the education programs at this university and others we learn about what is developmentally appropriate and to teach using the constructivist model. These are two very important parts of my philosophy. However in the real world of public education there are state wide testing with tremendous accountability and high stake results. In the university world we are taught to assess students in a variety of ways and that our assessment drives instruction. These two can and do overlap in the classroom, but the only type of testing the state does is a more formal type of assessment.I believe these two points are very controversial. At some point I feel I am teaching the test. I have to give test using the testing format three times a year and then I also have to give Thinklink test in reading and math bi-monthly. This is to prepare the students for the state wide testing. These state wide tests are a one time snapshot of the students ability. The way we are taught in the university setting is to observe and assess constantly. We are taught to assess using the summative approach.
I just feel my educational philosophy is being torn into pieces. I believe one thing and try to teach this way and then I have to teach to the test to some degree and this goes against my believes.
1 comment:
Hi
I currently am not teaching in the classroom, but I am working towards that goal. I feel the same way you do we are taught to do assessment one way, but in the "real world" of today's schools it is all about standard test scores. For the Wiki assignment that Dr. Wang assigned, I was interested in the article on Project Based learning. The article discusses how some of the national level test spends lots of time and money to make their tests valid, reliable, and fair. However, most teachers know that standardize test scores do not necessarily show what a student knows. And standardize test have often been shown to be biased for different economic groups and especially for ESL students. I have learned in some of my classes that standardize test or formative evaluation has the disadvantage that it cannot be adjusted for student’s individual needs on an ongoing basis. Whereas summative evaluation methods do allow for these types of changes that can meet student’s needs. The article discusses methods such as self-assessment, peer-assessment, portfolios and rubics. One of the last sentences in the article is, “ a key aspect of authentic assessment is helping the student learn the details of what is being assessed, why it is being assessed, and how it is being assessed.” I wonder if there is any way we can look into the standardize tests that we are required to “teach to” and administer and pull out some of the theories from the types of assessment we are taught at the university level as the “right” way? However, I have done a few of the standard tests as part of my university classes and I feel so overwhelmed trying to read some of the information from the tests booklets. When the test booklets starts breaking down all the measures they used to make the test valid, reliable etc,. I feel like I need a PHD in assessment to even be able to read what it says, much less understand it. I have also listened to teachers like you who are in the classroom and how frustrated they are with having to teach to the test, and how they are made to feel like they are not a good teacher if their students to not perform well on the tests. I know that once I am in the classroom I will struggle with the same issues.
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