It's time to get rid of standardized tests
We cannot assume that there is only one way, such as standardized testing, to quantify education outcomes. Credit: iStock
As immediate past president of the national School Superintendents Association, I know the exceptional work happening not just in my Baldwin district, but other districts throughout the nation.
Education is a complex field. Some believe the best way to gauge success is to standardize measurement and compare districts. This one-size-fits-all approach is unrealistic, irresponsible, and does not serve a sizable percentage of today’s children. We cannot assume that all students learn at the same pace in the same way. We also cannot assume that there is only one way to quantify education outcomes.
All children deserve to learn according to how they best gain and retain knowledge and should be assessed accordingly. We want to encourage lifelong learning, engage and excite our students about the future.
When we compare districts based on publications that rank schools, we do a disservice to our students and our communities. For instance, U.S. News & World Report’s metrics are “based on college readiness; reading and math proficiency; reading and math performance; underserved student performance; college curriculum breadth; and graduation rates.” But what are the college readiness scores based on? Standardized testing? To report fairly, we need to look below the surface of artificial, one-point-in-time standardized measures and tell the real story.
We pit one district against another instead of valuing the work of every individual district and their unique educational programs, often forgetting that education is about serving young people who are as individual and distinctive as every school.
Countless districts across the country are embracing change and innovation, yet the reporting continues to tell the same old story through the lens of traditional measurements. Districts that are paving new ways to engage learners with success should be celebrated by measures that show the groundbreaking aspects of their achievements, as well as graduation rates.
Last year, Baldwin hosted a national summit on learning that brought together business leaders, government, K-12 superintendents, and representatives from institutions of higher education, including the U.S. Dept. of Education. Attendees were amazed at the work we were accomplishing, witnessing firsthand the future of public education. One example that impressed our visitors was the college-level course Baldwin High School offers called “College Civics and News Literacy,” as well as the news literacy skills embedded into all English Language Arts and social studies curriculum for grades 6-12. Fluency in news literacy is a lifelong skill and should be considered a necessity in today’s world. Innovation such as this should be a key factor in school rankings.
As an educator and district administrator, I want every child to read on grade level by third grade and to be a proficient writer and mathematician. I also want them to be creators, critical thinkers, collaborators, problem solvers, communicators, and civic-minded citizens. Students at every level must be engaged in a curriculum that evokes a thirst for learning, enjoyment, and anticipation. This will prepare them for what lies ahead in our ever-evolving world — especially given the tremendous variations introduced by AI and other technologies. We need them to be ready to either attend college or vocational school, secure a job, or join the military based on their skills and passions.
If we are genuinely interested in preparing our children for the future, helping the economy, and enriching our communities, let’s go beyond these published rankings and standardized test scores, and rethink how we assess students and our schools. We owe this to our future and to our children.
This guest essay reflects the views of Shari Camhi, superintendent of the Baldwin Union Free School District.
