Standardized tests hinder schools
Abby Davis
Issue date: 5/22/09 Section: Ed-Op
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The program demands adequate yearly progress on the tests and offers little to no help for teachers in actually teaching the subject matter. While many teachers may be passionate about their subject, their principals are screaming, "Teach the test! Teach the test!" Why? Because if the school does not meet the state's AYP standards they will lose funding, and many teachers will lose their jobs. Now that's enough pressure to get just about any educator to spend more time teaching the NCLB tests.
But there are many problems with the test that many teachers cannot prepare for. One problem, for instance, would be the issue of English Language Learner students. According to Wayne E. Wright, author of "NCLB: Taking Stock, Looking Forward. A Catch-22 For Language Learners," even if a student arrives their very first day in America, and does not speak a syllable of English, they will have to take the NCLB exams.
In this article, Wright describes his experience with two ELL students named Nitha and Bora, who had only been in the country for two months before they had to take the NCLB math exams. Wright provided the girls with one-on-one math tutoring during this time, but the state would not allow him to help translate the tests for the girls. As a result, Bora got seven out of 44 math questions correct, and Nitha, who was better at math, only six.
Also, where the achievement gaps were in the past, the achievement gaps still stand. Students who are given outdated library books, inexperienced teachers, and poor school funding and students who live in economically disparaged areas are expected to do the same on these tests as their wealthy suburban counterparts. Also, many states require the NCLB tests, or other state standardized tests, for the students to graduate high school. As a result, these tests can act as another gateway for students to get to their diplomas. Students who have trouble taking tests, or were inadequately prepared for these tests, are much more likely to just get frustrated and drop out. It seems a little silly to have a country desire so much to have more students go to college, and to help them by presenting them a rather large and intimidating hurdle.
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