BEYOND STANDARDIZED TESTS AND METRICS
GL hosted its curriculum night this past week to welcome and inform the current 8th-grade class. The presentation was impressive, and the leadership team highlighted the 27 AP courses, STEAM electives, and various clubs and activities with the slick video. It was a great event, and everyone who put it together deserves credit.
What stayed with me after the presentation was something the principal said – “there is something for everyone”.
This comment reminded me of the debate we have been having on our local social media about test proficiency scores, metrics & measurements, and the question weighing in on my mind – what should we expect from our public schools?
The simple, straightforward answer is quality education. In my mind, that’s the expectation at every level.
We expect our children in elementary school to learn basic reading, writing, and math skills while developing interpersonal effectiveness skills in work and play with peers.
The answer gets more nuanced as they get through middle and high school, with accelerated programs and competitive standardized tests.
During the past couple of weeks, we have heard arguments about why the low math scores of GL don’t matter because it is a “small group of kids who are having to take Algebra 1 again” or “what is the motivation for our children to take the NJ state tests seriously when all they have to do is ace the SAT or ACT to get a shot at a good college of their choice?”
Growing up in India, I went through my fair share of standardized tests and examinations, so I understand the line of thinking and argument here.
My own experience reinforces my point about why it matters more than ever to take a closer look at test scores and see how our schools are preparing our children for the future.
Standardized test preparation is intended to make students more proficient in taking standardized tests, although the research indicates it does not move the needle very much. Standardized test scores are ONE indicator predictive of success in college but not the only one. Some studies have shown that high school GPAs are a better predictor of college success than just SATs or ACTs alone. Even with standardized test scores, colleges still evaluate the student as a whole – grades, sports, leadership skills, other non-academic interests, and achievements.
Through the pandemic, some colleges have started waiving the standardized test requirements, given the disruption in the school year. And even before the pandemic, colleges started making standardized tests optional in the application process.
I would argue that for our children to succeed beyond standardized testing, they need a well-rounded education and solid knowledge of the subject.
Some states are requiring that their assessments be conducted throughout the year so that teachers can take corrective action sooner.
Do we want our public schools to churn out only ace test takers, or do they serve a higher purpose of shaping future citizens equipped with solid basics, developed critical thinking, and curious minds?
Maybe a bit of both, but more of the latter.
In thinking about the community discussion about GL test scores, if elected to the Board of Education, I would first ask the District to explain how they understand the 47% score published on the NJ DOE website. If the score is “right, ” I would ask the District to analyze the root cause and devise a plan to address these learning gaps. If the score is “wrong”, I would request the school district to share the detailed explanation with parents and find avenues to address this with the State. I would also encourage the District to provide more coherent and meaningful metrics to parents regularly.
All of this sounds like a lot of work, and it is. We have to meet every student where they are and help them on their journey of learning. Berkeley Heights will benefit from taking a whole child approach towards our schools.
Any improvement plan and ANY plan connected to education that significantly touches our children’s lives need a baseline and a valid, reliable metric we can use to evaluate, track and report on.
It’s that important.
-Dipti Khanna
Links:
https://www.manhattanreview.com/sat-predictor-college-success/
https://news.uchicago.edu/story/test-scores-dont-stack-gpas-predicting-college-success
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