We are
leaving behind the ‘No Child Left Behind’, and trying to find other ways not to
leave behind anyone. Teachers, at last, will be able to teach what needed, and
students may be able to learn something beyond the mandated standardized tests.
However, the
tricky part is not that the standardized tests are the enemy of education, but
how they are applied, and what they are used for. For years, now, students had
been told not to worry about those tests since they are not used to evaluate
them, but their teachers and their school. I have written pages over the irony in
how we are so surprised that students don’t take these tests seriously then...
There is,
however, one valid test in all this ‘testamania’, that does make, at least,
some sense, the California High School Exit Exam (aka CHSEE). This is a standardized
exam that proves that a high school graduating student possesses some basic
knowledge. It is, in no way, a sufficient measure of skills since it represents
eighth grade level, yet, it is one-step toward accountability in education.
Unfortunately,
with the wave of repealing everything, this valid criterion is caught in the
net too… Hello!!! This is exactly the type of test that is essential. It evaluates
success of the individual and has a direct effect, the kind of motivator we need...
There is
only one way to assess what students learned, and more important, what they
really knows - an independent, objective test. We don’t keep kids in schools just
to make them busy, or retain teachers and administrators for employment. The
purpose of school is to teach, and for students, to learn. How do we verify
that we fulfilled our mission? By reliance on each school? By trusting each
teacher? By believing that all students are created equal and thus acquired the
same information?
Schools,
districts, teachers, are as different from each other as individual students.
We can’t assume that a graduate of one school has the same skills and knowledge
of a graduate from another school… Yes, they may have gone through the exact same
program, text books, guideline, but does it mean they are equally educated?
The reason
why the answer is ‘absolutely not’ is not only because students and teachers
are different, it is because every element of the education system is different.
Does it mean that we have to give in and say ‘oh well, we cannot fight those
differences?’ No! we cannot fight the differences but we have to make sure that
the end result of education is similar, despite the differences…
The only way
to make sure that no (capable) child is left behind, is to set unison, clear
goal for every child, and encourage them to move toward it. A stable target
that is not realigned by schools, or teachers, to accommodate slackers who wait
for the target to move toward them, but to force them to move toward the target.
The only way
to do so is by instituting standardized graduation tests, matriculation tests
as in other countries, where passing exams constitutes true graduation, while
occupying a desk for twelve years results in receiving a matching certificate…
