Standarized Testing

Question for all: is standardized testing in schools still effective, or have they become antiquated? My feeling is that for as long as there are schools, standardized testing will always be a necessary measure to test how well its students are being taught.

Standardized testing, my memory's a little fuzzy, is this the crap that kids have to study so long and hard for that even kindergarteners are suffering from nervous and mental breakdowns?

I think there are a lot of flaws with it. Number one being that teachers teach to the test, so it isn't exactly a fair measure. It does a decent job of showcasing the good students' strengths. But it doesn't say much about retention because of how they teach to the tests before they are given.

It has its pluses and minuses, but I wouldn't do away with it. I can remember being in school, and a week or so before we were to take some state mandated standardized test, the teachers would try and 'prep' us for what was (or might be) on it. They didn't seem all that thrilled with having to do it.

I think that it's important, but flawed. My kids are spending time learning how to take this stupid test, when they could be learning things that they really need to know, all so the school doesn't lose money. There's a lot riding on the test and Faith has anxiety about it because her teacher told her that the teachers could all get fired if they don't do well

thepossiblepolice wrote:I think that it's important, but flawed. My kids are spending time learning how to take this stupid test, when they could be learning things that they really need to know, all so the school doesn't lose money. There's a lot riding on the test and Faith has anxiety about it because her teacher told her that the teachers could all get fired if they don't do well

That was not good at all of the teacher to say that. I know that the teachers here are under a ton of pressure for good scores, so they in turn pressure the kids. I thought that would be no more when he entered jr. high. In jr. high, kids with perfect attendance of the testing period get entered into drawings for prizes like gift cards and ipods. That is crazy and wasteful in my opinion.

RedBedroom wrote:

thepossiblepolice wrote:I think that it's important, but flawed. My kids are spending time learning how to take this stupid test, when they could be learning things that they really need to know, all so the school doesn't lose money. There's a lot riding on the test and Faith has anxiety about it because her teacher told her that the teachers could all get fired if they don't do well

That was not good at all of the teacher to say that. I know that the teachers here are under a ton of pressure for good scores, so they in turn pressure the kids. I thought that would be no more when he entered jr. high. In jr. high, kids with perfect attendance of the testing period get entered into drawings for prizes like gift cards and ipods. That is crazy and wasteful in my opinion.

I know...At her conference I brought it up, and she said that she's used to teaching 5th grade and forgets that she's now teaching 3rd graders, but still...And Faith said that she still keeps saying it. I've loved all her teachers until now, even requesting them for my son who is one year behind her, but I'm not requesting this teacher next year. I don't feel like my daughter is doing well in her class.