Raise a Thinker, Not an Expert Test-Taker

03/03/2005
Raise a Thinker, Not an Expert Test-Taker
By: Jennifer Leeth , Guest column - The Woodlands
HOUSTON COMMUNITY ON-LINE

Unfortunately, school finance reform in Texas boils down to one thing: TAKS scores. The argument set forth in Feb. 24's editorial (Legislator's should focus on student improvement) has two fallacies: 1) good teaching can be measured solely by TAKS scores, and 2) legislators alone are equipped to make decisions that are aligned with proven best teaching practices.


Unfortunately, school finance reform in Texas boils down to one thing: TAKS scores. The argument set forth in Feb. 24's editorial (Legislator's should focus on student improvement) has two fallacies: 1) good teaching can be measured solely by TAKS scores, and 2) legislators alone are equipped to make decisions that are aligned with proven best teaching practices.

Agreed, more money does not equal more learning. Yes, the state needs to figure out how to identify and reward its best teachers. Of course Texas' students deserve nothing less. However, the only proposed measure for identifying "good teachers" has been one high-stakes standardized test score. Not only is this completely contrary to the best interest of children, it just doesn't make sense.

Standardized tests only take into account one measure of learning - students' ability to complete a written, multiple-choice test. If the TAKS were oral or in essay format, legislators would see vastly different results, neither of which, taken independently, would necessarily reflect teachers' teaching abilities or students' learning accurately. How about using TAKS scores in combination with student portfolios of their best work, standardized rubrics for assessing oral and writing skills, and other measures of different intelligences? High-stakes test scores alone reflect neither best teaching practices nor good learning.

Case in point: We have twin fifth graders in separate public school classrooms. For those who don't know, fifth grade is a "fail the test, fail the grade" year. In preparation for last week's reading TAKS test, Teacher A drilled the students all quarter on reading passages and testing strategies at the expense of other learning activities. The week before The Test, her class read 14 passages in language arts class alone, and still more in science and social studies classes. By TAKS time, this child was burned out and stressed beyond consolation. In contrast, Teacher B continued to teach the state-mandated curriculum while preparing her students for The Test. This class continued to read authentic literature and engage in discussions and projects while they prepared for the TAKS. Not surprisingly, this child was more relaxed and mentally ready for The Test.
Which child will score better on the TAKS? Does it really matter? Say, for argument's sake, that Teacher A's student scores five points higher. Does the higher score reflect the teacher's dedication, long hours of planning and preparing relevant and meaningful lessons, classroom management skills or knack for knowing every child and how to motivate each? Has her student learned more? Had a better learning experience? Engaged in higher order thinking? Challenged her limits? I think not. But before you fault Teacher A, ask yourself whether you really want a school finance system that forces teachers to teach to a test for their own survival and that of their school.

Clearly, legislators are not necessarily qualified to determine best teaching practices. Rather than knock the teacher organizations, legislators would do well to listen to them. These organizations protect the interests of the teachers, sure, but they also protect the best interests of children. They comprise experts in the field, people who have been in the classroom, conducted the studies that are so often cited, and know how learning works in different children.

Folks complain when HMO administrators take medical decisions out of the hands of doctors, yet no one bats an eye when legislators rather than educators make decisions about best teaching practices. These decisions affect the future of our country. They must be made with significant input from educators who know how the brain works, how children develop and learn, what issues they face in the classroom, and what teaching practices work best.
So before you jump on the cookie-cutter finance-reform bandwagon, ask yourself what our ultimate goal should be as a society. Do we want to be able to compete in a global market (on this planet and beyond), producing scientists, inventors, writers and innovative, adaptable business people? Or do we want a generation of expert test-takers who are not capable of any higher order thinking skills or original thought because they have merely been trained to excel at test-taking rather than to think critically? Before you answer that with a media sound-byte, ask yourself which fifth grade teacher you would choose for your child - the one who prepared your kid for the test or the one who taught your child to think, question and love learning? And if you are able to process these arguments and respond with critical thinking skills, ask yourself whether your own test scores reflect the full extent of your abilities, and then thank your teacher.

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