The Choice Channel

As a high school teacher, I face many challenges. I see them as challenges anyway. Too many kids in a class, very outdated textbooks, not enough equipment to teach properly, etc…. Each day I try to get along with what I have. Therefore, it makes me crazy when the state, in its infinite “wisdom,” deliberately throws roadblocks up in front of learning. Instead of teaching each semester at a pace that suits the class I must try to guess what the state might expect. That’s right, at the end of each vocational course we must give a state-written standardized test.

I feel I must defend this test somewhat. When these tests were originally designed they were designed with test banks. These test banks had all the questions available for the final on that subject. Teachers could make up interim tests, pretests for particular subjects, and analyze the information to see what needed to be taught MORE or what needed to be taught LESS. Teachers could CHOOSE what they wanted of the subject matter within obvious limits. These tests were designed as tools for the teacher. Tools to pretest knowledge of students; to help keep up with how much is understood by the class; which kids are or are not getting it, etc. The concept of testing is not wrong in and of itself. Used correctly this is a completely viable tool for analyzing what you have taught and what they have learned. Which, of course, is why I’m there.

The problem I find now is that the tone of these tests has changed. Due to the concept of the ABC’s of Education (that’s not exactly right, I’ll look it up and fix it later). It’s all about accountability. Teachers scream they aren’t making enough money. The government, their employer, says, “OK fine, but we are going to hold you accountable for the class’s scores.” This is amazingly simplified. It seems that the only way they know of to do this is to check test scores. So they invent tests. It started in the so-called academic classes such as English, Science, Math, and so-forth. They take a sample of the scores from each class or set of classes and “rate” the school accordingly. This rating brings bonuses, raises and general kudos to each school. As they continue to bring in more subjects, History, etc., the vocational subjects begin to be involved. This actually doesn’t begin until 2003, at this point. They have decided to use the scores on these, state-written standardized tests as a measure of accountability. These tests will now determine salaries, bonuses, continued employment, etc. Which is all well and good, IF you have the perfect test. These are NOT the perfect tests.

The biggest problem with using these tests, if they are aligned with the test banks anyway, is that they are bad tests. The format is bad. To make one test for the entire state is ludicrous. Teachers teach at different rates, in different styles, sometimes differently from semester to semester, depending on the class. What works with one group of kids may not work with another. The test banks that we use to prepare for the final exam are, at this point, inaccurate and in some instances obsolete. The test banks that we have, have incorrect answers. How do we know that they fixed them, in RALEIGH [NC]? There is a way to “turn them in.” I went through the test bank question by question, with my textbook and other references in hand, and checked answers. Then you have to fill in a form, of course. You then turn them in to your superior who turns them in to theirs, etc., etc. I turned in about 45 bad questions. That’s a lot of bad questions. I am sure I made mistakes and some were correct. But I didn’t mistake that many. I only made it through the first third of the bank. There are about 600 questions. I never received any direct response to these issues.

There are obsolete questions about equipment that doesn’t exist anymore, and processes that are no longer used in industry. Now, I don’t mind these questions being part of the history of a subject, but should they be a major part of the curriculum and test material.

Please remember, I am only looking at the test bank. We do not have access to the final exam. We, the instructors, are not allowed to ever see the final exam. So actually it could be completely different and we would never know. THEN WHY DO WE HAVE THE TEST BANKS?!

I, personally, have a problem with standardized tests. I believe an approved teacher-made test would be much preferable. I can see how it is the most expedient way to get a “number.” But if you are going to use them they should be well-written and relevant tests. The best tests should probably come from industry… but that’s another issue.