The Real Cheating Scandal Occurs Each Year At Every School in America
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“The real cheating scandal that has been going on for years is that kids are being cheated out of meaningful learning by focusing on test scores. Standardized tests like the CRCT measure what matters least. . . Standardized tests are lousy measures of thinking. They assess some combination of (a) family wealth and (b) how much time has been diverted from real learning in order to make kids better at taking tests. Many smart kids, terrific teachers, and exciting schools have lousy test scores. Many not-so-smart kids, mediocre teachers, and awful schools have impressive test scores.”—Alfie Kohn
There are several other things measured by standardized tests that tell us nothing about the quality of our schools and teachers (but much about the irrationality and dysfunction of our society). For example, they also measure children’s resilience and composure. Kids who do not panic under stress tend to do better than those suffer from test anxiety, something that depends far more on upbringing and the culture in the home than on anything teachers bring to the classroom.
Children’s anxiety should be taken more seriously than it is, as it seems to be growing and it
