Kendra’s Annual Rant about Standardized Testing

When I first took the GRE (Graduate Record Examination—a standardized test used before a student can enter graduate school) in 1989, I scored off the chart. Seriously, I was in top 2% of the entire country in GRE test scores. When I retook the test 4 years ago, my scores were less impressive. Does this mean that at forty, I was less prepared for grad school than when I was 25? Does it mean that I was less smart? What exactly do my two GRE scores mean? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Well—at least nothing important, that is.

My GRE score drop means that the first time I took the exam, I was a recent college graduate and still spoke the language of academia. I was no less intelligent in my forties and I was actually better prepared for grad school, as age had taught me to appreciate education more. In case you haven’t figure out yet where this is going—it is time for Kendra’s annual “Why Standardized Tests are a Waste of Time and Money” column.

What sparked this spate of vitriol? My fifth grader brought a note home inviting parents to school for a discussion on the importance of the ITBS and instruction on how to make sure students are adequately prepared to take the exam. The letter even offered the bribe of pizza for parents who come. So let me get this straight: I am expected to take a day off from work to learn how to prepare my child for an exam that every single knowledgeable person in the entire universe says is worthless (and my knowledgeable I mean EDUCATORS—not POLITICIANS)?

To be clear: I am not blaming Patrick’s school for this, but the entire culture in education that has decided that standardized test scores are not only the BEST, but the ONLY way to evaluate the effectiveness of a school. This attitude comes from the top. Starting with the hated “No Child Left Behind” policy, implemented by President Bush and continued by President Obama, standardized tests have become THE way to evaluate and then punish schools for their performance. There are few rewards in this system. As a matter of fact, under the current policy a school that does really super duper well one year can be punished in subsequent years if their scores slip. So—schools want to do a little bit better each year on the test—but not so much better that they can’t replicate or even best the results in the following years. Insanity.

I have many friends that teach in Iowa’s public schools that are being told openly that if it “isn’t on the test, don’t teach it.” My friends know this is wrong and I daresay the administrators that issue edicts such as these know it is wrong—but they have no choice, but to do as told. School funding, accreditation, and even teachers’ jobs depend on how well students do on standardized tests.

As a college instructor, I want my students to be able to THINK, not fill in little circles with a number two pencil. I want them to be able to decipher abstract problems and use their creativity to find unique solutions. I’m thinking employers value these skills as well. None of these skills are tested on the ITEDs.

I realize that “accountability” is the big buzzword in education these days, but standardized tests should never be the ONLY way to judge a school’s effectiveness as they pretty much are now. I know Paddy’s teachers are doing a great job—whether he scores 95% on his Basic Skills test or if he decides to play connect-the-dots and scores 15%. Kids are unpredictable in many different ways and to judge their school’s effectiveness solely on a standardized test is ridiculous. It’s about time the Department of Education figures this out and makes some changes.