Standardized Tests

Next week is TAKS testing. This is a big deal for my juniors because this is their Exit exam, which means that if they don't pass then they can't graduate. When I came into the school I felt that I had two mandates from the principal. First, change the atmosphere in the class to be more work oriented. I feel that I have changed the atmosphere to be more work oriented, but I still feel like it can be more work oriented. Maybe I will write about this in a future post.

The second mandate is to get the TAKS scores "out of the toilet" (which is pronounced "to-let" out here where I teach). Last year my Juniors had a 62% pass rate on last years TAKS test. In order to get the scores up I have been doing a lot of focused review for the TAKS test. We will have spent 6 1/2 weeks preparing for this exam. This doesn't include the 5 minutes per day since February. I feel we have come a long way and I feel we have a really good shot at making the 100% goal that we set.

I am someone who always tries to look at the big picture. I often step back and think about the pros and cons of having something like the TAKS test. I am glad there is a standard that says if a student can't get to this level then they don't deserve to graduate from a Texas high school. I am also glad that that standard isn't as low as it was in California where I grew up; I passed my exit exam my Freshman year of high school.

At the same time I feel that there are a lot of drawbacks. My my Seniors have explained to me that they don't remember a lot of math because most of their time in high school has been spent preparing for that year's TAKS test. They are weak in factoring because you don't need to know factoring to be successful on the TAKS test. They are also weak in other areas of basic mathematics because, again, these things are not on the TAKS test. I know that when the teaching of a year is focused on the TAKS test, it doesn't create the learning that is most beneficial to learning mathematics. It also creates a huge lack of motivation after the TAKS test. I am a bit worried about motivating my students in two weeks when we start our next unit.

Another problem is the current years TAKS test is not testing the current years curriculum. For example the Freshman and Sophomore test is covering Pre-Algebra and Algebra I. Which means the Sophomores in Geometry aren't learning a lot of Geometry because it isn't on the TAKS Test. This is probably why my Juniors this year have struggled so much with the Geometry questions, because last year their teacher was focused on getting them through the TAKS test.

I think that most teachers would agree that teaching to a test is not the ideal. I know that I wouldn't be spending so much time on it if so many students weren't at risk and the Principal asked me to get those scores up. I am not sure how much TAKS prep I am going to do next year, I think that will depend on where I am teaching and the students I am working with.