In teaching versus testing, teaching must win
In the continuing debate over teaching versus testing, new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Brian Whiston, and the Michigan Department of Education recently came down firmly on the side of teaching.
Responding to calls from those on the front lines of public education, Whiston and MDE reduced student testing time for the upcoming school year for the M-STEP and the Michigan Merit Exam. Testing for students in middle school will be reduced by 2.5 hours, while 11th graders will see an 8 hour reduction in testing time.
Changes were also made so students will spend shorter periods sitting for tests, allowing for tests to be completed over multiple sittings, and reducing the overall window for testing – all of which will leave more time for computers to be used for teaching instead of testing.
Whiston and MDE should be applauded for listening to the concerns expressed by students, parents, educators and other stakeholders. Too often, policymakers don’t ask for or listen to important feedback from the front lines. We hope this marks the beginning of a new era where that’s no longer the case.
However, reducing the amount of time spent on standardized tests is only one component of needed reform. There must be a corresponding reduction in the emphasis placed on these tests.
High-stakes tests should not be a dominant force in measuring student and school success, nor teacher evaluation and compensation. If they are, administrators and teachers will continue to be pressured to teach to the test – at the expense of spending time exploring ideas with students and developing their critical thinking skills.
That’s not only bad for the intellectual development of students, it also harms their future employment opportunities. Over the past several years, prospective employers continually speak of their need for employees who possess critical thinking skills and In teaching versus testing, teaching must win:
