Understanding the Impact of High-Stakes Testing on Students

School

Roosevelt University *

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340

Subject

Sociology

Date

Feb 20, 2024

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Uploaded by erikajenkins32

Reaction Report By: Erika V Jenkins 12/03/2020 Professor Layer Sped 340

As both a parent and an educator, I have always had concerns and or dislikes about “high stakes testing” and the equity in the formatting of it, mindsets of students while taking it, circumstances that could affect it results negatively, and how a nation or statewide test should and could determine a student’s ability to demonstrate, process, exhibit, produce and regurgitate all prior knowledge learned. I have often opted for my children that are diverse learners out of the PARCC test and was unaware of the ability to opt them out of more. My decision of opting my children out was due to the after effects the exams/tests had on my children. One would think that she did so well and when results came back, she was devastated. Another, was nervous and anxious all the while before, during and after beating himself up, because he felt he could’ve done better. Why should we, educators, the state, the nation, the world, put “self against self” ? How can a test determine a student’s worthiness without speaking to, observing, monitoring, and or without their submission of his/her ability to demonstrate what they know, do not know, can do, and or will not do? How does this build student autonomy? In my opinion, it tears down, introduces fear, compares, builds walls too high for most and disintegrates what students already know...

Considering my own biases in regards to students and testing or having the option to provide “Alternative Testing”, I decided to create my “Reaction Report” on “Implementing Alternative Assessment: Opportunities and Obstacles by Carole Janisch, Xiaoming Liu and Amma Akrof” and “Using Portfolios for Assessment/Alternative Assessment by Jana Fox”. The above mentioned titles caught my attention and peaked my interests to further dive into the thoughts of others about a very passionate topic to my heart. My reaction to both articles is the puzzling question in my mind as to why there are so many articles with many agreeing that high stakes testing is devastating our students, educators and individualized centered learning and “yet students are still required to take, districts still have their look fors, curriculum are based on, etc.” Why hasn’t “External Factors” changed? Why is it still necessary and held to high regards? Hoffman Assaf, and Paris (2001,482) “reform resulting from testing is an illusion that masks an intrusion of testing into good teaching, therefore, diminishing the use of alternative assessments” ..... Very powerful statement, enough said, period… Serafini (2002,82) , “We need to break the stranglehold that standardized testing has on public schools in AMerica and focus on the educational needs of each student”.

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Both articles have in common the desire/push/necessity for educators to implement, design and create alternative assessments whereas “Using Portfolios for Assessments” highly recommend the implementation and utilization of Portfolio’s as a preference over any other alternative assessment, but both agree that Alternative Assessments are best! They also mention that Portfolio Assessments being that students’ select their best evidence of their learning, provide their own goals and the reasons why that selection of evidence is the best makes it a better ongoing individualized, observational tool to measure student’s growth even over a period of time. “Implementing Alternative Assessment'', the authors speaks about benefits which includes being done in classroom where teachers are making the choices in measurements used, that student, text and content impact learning outcomes and the predicted view that, “TESTING NOT ONLY AFFECTS STUDENTS, BUT TEACHERS, THE CURRICULUM, AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AS WELL”. And constraints that may prevent the implementation. External and Internal constraints which include the school itself, student motivation, lack of parental support, time, money and resources. Does High stakes testing improve teaching and learning? My answer is NO and I agree with both articles in the reasoning for promoting and implementing alternative assessments for our students. Also alternative Assessments offer validity and reliability because they are more in tune with classroom student centered learning instruction.

The impact that these articles have on my profession is that I am learning how to better advocate and stand by what is best for my students. I am reading ways to avoid and or get through internal and external constraints that may seem like an intimidating challenge. I see better now, that as an educator, I still do have to adhere to school and district policies, but in doing so I can and will still instill in students ways in which I can guide them in taking ownership of learning, reflecting on lessons and reaching objective and self goals made. As an educator, I understand there may be obstacles that may seem too tough at first, but I feel solace in knowing that there is a plethora of information and resources out here that can guide me and back me up when I am taking a stance for what is best. “Educators must advocate to help students learn, rather to fail them” (Serafini (2002;Stiggins 2002) Fox, J. (1970, January 01). Using Portfolios for Assessment/Alternative Assessment. Retrieved December 03, 2020, from https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-02326-7_9-1 Janisch, C., Liu, X., & Akrofi, A. (2007). Implementing Alternative Assessment: Opportunities and Obstacles. Retrieved December 3, 2020, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED519991.pdf

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