High stakes assessments don’t always accurately measure students’ understanding of a subject. More often than not, they paint an inaccurate picture of a student’s conceptual grasp.
In a school where students hone a variety of unique skills, it’s important to consider the full spectrum of learning and accommodate multiple performance styles.
When a teacher announces an upcoming test, there’s a distinct feeling that washes over the classroom. The mood shifts instantly, a once buzzing environment now filled by deafening silence.
Following the brief period of shock that usually comes with this sort of news, the questions erupt. How many points will this be worth? Will there be corrections? How much time will we be given?
From student reactions alone, it’s clear that tests bring heaps of added stress into students’ lives. Whether it’s a unit test, a chapter quiz, a midterm, or a final, it seems like there’s always something new to prepare for.
Students face immense pressure at the hands of classic testing styles. The goal is no longer to gain thorough understanding of a topic, but rather to score high on the test.
Often, when students are simply given the information that will be on the exam and told to memorize it, otherwise known as “teaching to the test,” there is a failure to gain deeper understanding of how to actually apply learned concepts.
And then, there is the overload. “My class’s tests never coordinate and I always end up with three on the same day,” junior Shannon Murphy said.
Experts note that schools continue to overload students with rote memorization without teaching real-world application skills. “Students memorize loads of information and then regurgitate it to achieve certain metrics on standardized tests for each grade level,” advocates at the Education Revolution Association state.
It’s important to address the common misconception that only statewide and national tests are considered “standardized.” For most people, a ‘standardized test’ brings to mind the SAT. However, a standardized test can be something as simple as a unit test in which your teacher is grading everyone in the class based on the same answer key.
The truth is that standardized tests aren’t necessarily the best way to measure a student’s understanding of a topic. Each individual has their own unique skill set and skills to be developed. It’s important to remember that memorization does not always indicate comprehension and there is more than one way to measure understanding.
Social studies teacher Ms. Alissa Harvey prioritizes project based assessment in proportion to tests. This gives students the opportunity to develop vital skills that will be useful in future academic settings.
“What we’re trying to do is develop specifically research skills, but also writing and presentation skills, knowing that a lot of that will happen in eleventh grade,” Harvey said. “The best way to approach the class is to not prioritize the content, but the skills that we can develop,”
In addition to gaining research and writing skills, project based learning gives students the opportunity to manage time effectively, with more freedom to find time that works for them to develop their knowledge in a rich, lasting way.
Rather than cramming to remember information that could be forgotten two days later, it’s important to identify new approaches that develop a deeper understanding of materials. This way, students aren’t being measured on their ability to memorize theorems and dates, but rather their ability to conceptualize big ideas and demonstrate what they’ve learned.
“[Tests] make me feel really stressed. I think projects are a better way to demonstrate what I know and apply my knowledge in different ways,” junior Alaina Brown said.
Each opinion represented in The Panther Press is the view and voice of the writer. Opinions, as the selection and curation of content by the editors, do not represent the views of the entire Panther Press staff, the adviser, the school, or the administration.
