"It's a Beautiful Life"- Genevieve Galvan Frenes

After 22 years of teaching, I’ve never seen our kids tested so much in my life. I feel for them as I proctor a test and watch as they read for hours, answering and analyzing their choices. They squirm in their seats, stare at the ceiling, and fidget with their pencil just to break the monotony of the time that must seem like an eternity to their tired teenage brains. Yet, they try their hardest to complete the task.

Is the test needed? Yes, in some ways, I believe it can be a measurement of their analytical skills. Does it define who they are? By no means does it come close to the whole student and their experience in education. Yet, in one testing year, for high school – this is the Junior year, it tests English comprehension with various long passages and multiple choice questions to follow. Then, it tests their writing by giving them either an argumentative prompt or possibly an explanatory topic. Their essay must be complete and show their organization skills along with their ability to communicate in a sophisticated way. The new addition has been the CAST test, which measures their skills in science, including physics. It’s a daunting task for some kids, but most get through it, and manage to survive the rest of the school year. All of us have taken tests since the beginning of time, right?

Yes and no. In the 80’s, I remember one state test and maybe two days of testing. In today’s world, five days of straight testing, with at least four hours allotted if not more, is sometimes the norm, or the schedule may be scattered on different days. The time devoted to this task has definitely taken precedence over other things.

I see the students stress since this is the only state score on their transcripts. However, I reassure those planning to go to college that other factors like SAT scores, grades, and extracurricular activities will definitely help their chances of getting into college. One test cannot measure everything– it simply can’t.

The variety of gifts which I witness in students leads me to believe that one test is just one test. Testing will always be there, but it will not be the end of their education. I’ve seen too many other state tests come and go. I’m certain by the end of my teaching career they’ll be another test claiming to measure what the state deems as intelligent.

And I do understand that as an educator, we need to see the value in testing. However, the amount of testing, not only on state tests, but on other subjects or areas, is a major difference in education. For some students, this may lead to burnout before kids even get to college. I know the hope is that testing will build stamina and confidence to help students learn how to test confidently, but I do fear that we are creating students who may grow up with anxiety due to too much testing in their younger years. I also fear that they may equate their self worth with a test result, which is a sad thought in itself.

So the debate will always rest on the question– what is best for the kids? I sympathize for today’s student and I’m grateful I’ve lived through all of my test taking years. I would hope students in my classes believe they are confident in their skills, regardless of a test score.