Is It Really Teaching To The Test?

If you have ever played a new board game, video game, or card game the first thing you would normally do is learn the rules of the game. Learning the rules will help you to be successful and ease the frustration of making mistakes that could cause you to lose the game. In the world of high stakes assessments, it’s no different, to be successful, you have to know the rules of the game. Many educators are doing what they can to level the playing field by playing the game according to the rules.

Many people have accused teachers of “teaching to the test”. This has been a phrase used for the past decade at least. This opinion is based on the high stakes testing environment that has been created. Although it is commonly repeated, this statement is not completely accurate.

Yes, teachers teach students test taking strategies. This is done to help students learn to problem solve and to achieve a level of familiarity with standardized testing. This is an essential part of helping students learn the prescribed curriculum.

With online testing becoming more prevalent, teachers have a new element to contend with. There are tools to help students highlight and underline text and tools to help with reading comprehension. Students need an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the online options before being assessed formally. If teachers never gave students chances to practice, the actual testing experience could be disastrous.

Because of the emphasis put on student assessments by state boards of education, many teachers feel pressured to focus on students performance in regards to said testing. Teaching the curriculum is at the forefront of their minds. There is an immense sense of pressure to have students succeed on state assessments.

Student learning should be multifaceted. Project based learning can be incorporated into units of study. Real world experiences help to provide students with background knowledge needed to succeed. Hands on activities provide a way to make learning real.

It is my hope that teachers balance their instruction. Yes, state assessments are important, but that should not be the primary focus. Reading comprehension and problem solving skills are important as students matriculate through school. Are students being offered the very best experiences in our classrooms? I hope that the answer is yes.

Daily, I witness teachers working to help students grow. Students are working cooperatively with their classmates and sharing their knowledge. Experiences are being offered to help our students become aware of future opportunities. Our students are learning, growing, and showing that they represent much more than a test score.