What is your opinion on standardized testing? Why?
In my opinion, standardized testing was implemented in the American education system with the right intention, but failed to realize its intended objectives. The standardization of tests was expected to facilitate the ranking of students, an aim that has not been achieved as depicted by scenarios involving students that were termed “poor” academically succeeding later in life (Croft, Roberts & Stenhouse, 2015). Thus, I believe that having seen the inefficiencies of standardized testing over the years, it is high time that policymakers embrace the need for changing the method of student evaluation.
What are your priorities as an educator when it comes to students’ learning and evaluation?
In the role of an educator, I would aim at ensuring that students retain what I teach and are also able to apply the knowledge imparted. These are qualities that I think standardized testing does not have, primarily because I feel it focuses on molding students to be test-takers rather than individuals that understand the knowledge imparted to the extent that they can apply it even in contexts that are not similar with what was taught (Tienken & Zhao, 2013). Hence, the standardized testing system should be altered to enable the realization of the goals of the education system.
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Are there any changes you would advocate for in the current education system?
If it were up to me, I would eliminate standardized testing. As established, forcing students to take standardized tests has numerous adverse effects, and there is no reason why we should keep clinging to a system that does not work. Instead, I would propose the administration of in-class tests, mid-terms, and finals, but in the form of essays and projects rather than multiple-choice questions (Volante, 2012). Projects and essays will allow students to express themselves and their understanding of the content taught as well as facilitate the realization of the goals of the education system of imparting knowledge in a manner that allows its application in real-life situations.
What can be done to make the education system better?
The first step in restructuring the education system is abolishing standardized tests to accord all students, regardless of their learning capabilities, an opportunity to succeed academically. However, apart from changing the structure, the symbolic components of the education system must also be altered to suit the agenda of creating better learning environments (University of Oxford, 2016). For instance, the ranking of students from first to last should be abolished to incorporate less degrading grading criteria, such as a pass, or try again system, which would encourage learning rather than discourage it.
What would you recommend as an appropriate supportive measure that the institution’s administration can adopt to encourage student learning?
I think that instead of ‘breaking their spirit,’ when students do not do well in class, they should be encouraged to do better. For instance, if one fails, they should be allowed access to peer and teacher-student programs oriented towards fostering improved academic performance in a supportive environment that embraces that failure is part of the success path.
References
Croft, S. J., Roberts, M. A., & Stenhouse, V. L. (2015). The perfect storm of education reform: High-stakes testing and teacher evaluation. Social Justice , 42 (1).
Tienken, C. H., & Zhao, Y. (2013). How common standards and standardized testing widen the opportunity gap. Closing the opportunity gap: What America must do to give every child an even chance , 111-122.
University of Oxford. (2016). Researchers measure how ranking affects later performance. Retrieved 5 October 2019, from http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2016-03-24-researchers-measure-how-ranking-affects-later-performance
Volante, L. (2012). Educational reform, standards, and school leadership. In School Leadership in the Context of Standards-Based Reform (pp. 3-17). Springer, Dordrecht.
