A colleague from another state talks about testing

Admin: “How much testing did you do this year”

Teacher: “We had one week of tests in April. To prepare for the April test, we had approximately 10 days of testing before that. After our standardized test, we still had another six days of testing.”

Admin: “What was that for?”

Teacher: “Uhhh, to be honest, I don’t really know. The writing test was perhaps useful because the kids are not tested in writing in 8th grade, but why we had to have three additional reading and math tests is beyond me.”

Admin: “How do kids feel about this?”

Teacher: “Especially at the end of the year, many are angry. Kids realize that all the testing cannot be justified by teachers and administrators as preparation for the state test because testing continues until almost the last day of school. The state test is over in April.”

Admin: “About how many days did your district spend on testing this year?”

Teacher: “Around twenty-one days.”

Admin: “That’s more than one-tenth of the average school year.”

Eduhonesty: My own students spend more than 10% of the school year testing too. The opportunity cost in lost instructional time is staggering. The testing juggernaut needs to be stopped.