Key Concepts Key Concepts♦ Effective teachers do not allow hot-button issues to shift their focus from what really matters.
♦ Effective teachers do not allow standardized tests to take over the entire class, yet they work toward student success in standardized testing so it doesn’t become the primary focus of the school.
♦ Effective teachers never allow their personal views regarding standardized testing to affect discussions they might have with their students, parents, or even peers.
♦ Effective teachers recognize that state standards force them to shift the focus from the textbook to the actual curriculum and student learning.
♦ Great teachers do not merely hold up standards and watch students make their way toward them; instead, they remain at their students’ side, helping them to develop the skills they need to meet the standards.
Discussion Questions1. What are two key questions teachers should ask in determining the role of standardized tests? What is the relationship between these two questions?
2. In the study cited in the text, what was the difference between schools that exceeded expectations on standardized tests and other schools?
3. What is a risk associated with making state standards the center of the school?
4. What things influence what is taught in any classroom? Which of these things is the single most important determinant for what happens in the classroom? Why?
5. In the matter of standardized testing—and any other potentially controversial topic—how do the most effective educators decide to deal with the issue when talking with parents, students, and peers?
Journal PromptAt the end of the chapter, the author shares a key question he posed to teachers at a school wishing to raise its reading scores: “Are you so interested in improving your students’ reading abilities that you are willing to change what you do in your classroom—or do you want to raise their test scores so that you don’t have to change what you do in your classroom?” Write about your reaction to this question. By posing this question, what is the author hinting at in terms of what is important to teachers about standardized tests? Are most teachers willing to change what they do in their classrooms? If so, why? If not, why not? What—ultimately—should determine whether teachers change their classroom practices?
Group ActivitiesThe author maintains that it is time to stop debating the merits of standardized testing and focus instead on educators’ behaviors related to the issue of testing. In groups of five or less, have participants discuss the two key questions he poses: (1) What should schools be doing? (2) What do standardized tests measure? Have each group portray its answers pictorially, using a framework similar to that offered in Figure 2 on page 105 of the text. Have each group create a Top 10 list of the vitally important things that schools must do that are not measured by standardized testing. Then have each group create another Top 10 list of the most important reasons for schools to demonstrate success on standardized tests. Have groups draw their circles and write their Top 10 lists on chart paper. Ask the groups to present their findings.
This chapter notes that standards-based education is a rapidly growing movement within the larger movement of educational reform. Briefly stated, standards-based education calls for a clear identification of what students should know and be able to do. Research has shown that the amount of time spent on a specific topic can range dramatically from classroom to classroom—even at the same grade level and at the same school. The reason for this variation is, inevitably, teacher preference.
Divide participants into small groups that are clustered as closely as possible based on similar subject areas and/or grade levels. Distribute examples of clearly written performance standards currently in place at different schools. Have groups pick one subject and grade level with which all participants are comfortable. Have them examine the standards that have been distributed. Ask each group to create a simplified list of five standards that are absolutely essential areas of learning for students at that grade level. Have each group share their five standards with the entire group as a starting point for discussing the value of clearly identified critical knowledge and skills that must be learned in varying subjects at each grade level.
ApplicationUsing Figures 1 and 2 from page 105 of the text as a guiding reference, ask five teachers and/or administrators whom you respect to answer the two questions the author poses. In addition, specifically ask these five colleagues: What things are we doing at our school that are not measured by standardized tests but are still vitally important? Are there things that the standardized tests measure that we as a school are not doing? What percentage of what we do at school is measured by standardized tests? What should that percentage be? What behaviors must we agree on in order to ensure success on standardized tests? Be prepared to share the feedback you receive at the next session.