My nine year old went to bed last night saying he was nervous about the test and he woke up this morning in a cold sweat. He was anxious to get to school on time. I spent the morning trying to keep him happy and calm. I made him a healthy breakfast this morning, questioned whether his clothes were comfortable enough to take the test in today, and gave him a piece of parting advice… “just do the best you can”. After I dropped him off at school I opened up my newspaper and saw the front page headline which read “Teacher’s Jobs May Hinge On FCATs” and now I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach.
When did all of this standardized test pressure get so out of hand? We all took standardized tests when we were kids, but I never remember being so pressured to pass or worked up for these tests. I mean is a FCAT pep rally really necessary? Is that really going to help them pass? Will it take away the months of pressure and practice tests they have been subject to? Will it help that do or die feeling they all had in the pit of their stomach this morning?
I understand the teachers are pressured by the administration to do well or their jobs may be on the line. So, instead of just teaching what needs to be taught, the kids are being taught to take the test. These tests are supposed to be a snapshot of how the school does teaching, not how well the teacher has taught the students to take the test. I am all for teacher accountability, and even the raising of the standards so that we are teaching our children more valuable information that will make them more successful. But, all we have created is a culture in the school system which has encouraged cheating and mastery of a test taking skill that will not help you later on in life with anything other than taking more tests.
My son actually began preparing for these tests back in Kindergarten. They start at age 6 taking FCAT weekly exams and the test is still almost three years away at that point. So, you would think by now these kids would be experts at this, yet here we are and everyone is panicking. It just doesn’t seem right that my nine year old is telling me he is worried about not making it to fourth grade year or that he might have to go to summer school. He has been an honor roll student since Kindergarten. I take that back, a principal’s honor roll student. In elementary school that means he gets straight A’s on his report cards. Yet, he is worried he will not move up to fourth grade with the rest of his friends next year if he doesn’t do well on this test.
As a friend of mine posted this on her Facebook page this morning…
“Just want to say thanks to you a-holes who tied FCAT scores to funding. I should be telling my 8-year-old little girl not to worry about monsters under her bed. Instead, I find myself giving her a pep talk about a TEST! Nimrods!!!!”
I agree. How did this get so out of hand?