Assessing development and accomplishments is an important part of educating children. Viewing a child from a holistic viewpoint involves assessing that child on an ongoing basis to determine his strengths, weaknesses, interests and dreams. Tests/assessments are tools to guide educators in providing appropriate programming to meet the needs of each child and assist him in reaching his dreams. Tests should be used to assist educators and parents to know the child better. Although I think children’s progress needs to be assessed, I don’t agree that the only method or even correct method is a standardized test. Daily assessment through observation and participation are essential to knowing and understanding each child in order to adapt the environment and teacher directed instruction to meet immediate needs. Learners need practice to internalize new skills. As children get older, they are able to evaluate their own progress and set their own educational goals so standardized test may be of more value to them if used properly. Assessments/tests should be used by educators to determine a child’s progress and show areas that a child may excel or need further development, not to determine how much funding a school will receive.
Testing in the United States confuses me. Reasoned speaking and logical argument are not taught in the United States where children are expected to have opinions, not necessarily logic (Berger, 2009). Aren’t many aspects of standardized tests are based on logic? The United States was not much above average on the Trends in Math and Science Study (TIMSS) and it has been suggested that this poor performance is one reason the Unites States has stopped participating in TIMSS (Berger, 2009). Why not use the results to improve programming? I think the answer, in part, may be because tests are used to determine funding, not to determine how to better meet the needs of each child. I think we may have ‘missed the boat” in our way of thinking in the United States. We take music programs, family and consumer science programs, and sports programs out of a school’s curriculum (based on funding) and then wonder why our children aren’t doing well in math. Why are we not applying the knowledge we have about brain development to our educational system after the early childhood years? Too often in the United States teachers are teaching “the test”, which is not addressing “the whole child”. Learning to play an instrument or a second language or spending time painting and drawing or participating in sports are very important for the overall education of children. As stated earlier, the purpose of assessment/testing is to know the child better, help him reach his dreams and provide the appropriate environment and programming to accomplish these goals.
The educational system in Chile involves annually conducting a series of unified tests using Sistema de Medición de la Calidad de la Educación or SIMCE (Education Quality Measurement System) (ABBYY). The test had been used beginning in fourth grade, but in 2010 third grade assessment of the subsector Middle English began. SIMCE collects information about teachers, students and parents through questionnaires of context. This information is used to contextualize and analyze the results of student performance (What is SIMCE, 2009, 2010). Chile’s approach to standardized testing is more child centered. Socioeconomic characteristics are considered. Initiatives implemented at schools based on the results of SIMCE are assessed to determine if a positive effect was accomplished on the level of student performance. The results should help teachers become aware of the diversity of students. The information provided by SIMCE is used by the Ministry of Education to know features of the school and family environment in which students study (What is SIMCE, 2009, 2010). SIMCE is also used to compare Chilean student performance to that of other countries. Although the articles I read described SIMCE as very “child oriented” assessment system. The articles indicate that teachers adjust their classrooms to better accommodate the needs of the children as demonstrated on SIMCE. It would be interesting to observe a classroom in Chile to see this process in motion and compare it to that in the United States.
ABBYY FormReader 6.5 Is Used for National Educational Tests Processing in Chile. Retrieved from:
http://www.abbyy.com/Default.aspx?DN=4c86f1d8-73ab-4b73-9415-b8db23c28f6b
What is SIMCE, 2009, 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.simce.cl/
Berger, K.S. (2009). The Developing Person Through Childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers
Blog
- Joey Mazzei
- My adventures in the Early Childhood Studies program at Walden University have been both challenging and rewarding. I am looking forward to another challenging and rewarding experience! The pictures are of me with my son and with my daughters.
Joey,
ReplyDeleteI like how you talked about some of the positive reasons for testing. I think I got so caught up in the whole idea of negativity and the cloud hovering over testing such young children that I think I missed some very valid points that you brought up about the testing being used for the children to receive the services that they deserve for school. I also love how you talked about learning to play an instrument considering I was raised in a musical household with a mother educated far beyond my wildest dreams in anything musical. Thank you for your valid insight.
~Trish
I'm glad that you address the U.S. is more concern with the funding than the child as a whole. As you stated, teachers are teaching the test rather than the whole child. I believe that children should be taught home economics and have music as a class not an objection.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in school, I learned so much in Home Economics: how to cook and how to sew. Yes, my mother aided me at home, but these are survival skills that will last a long time rather than the sports that are encouraged so much these days. Many times children do not test well under the circumstances; however, it does not mean that they are incapable individuals. I, for one, become very nervous about taking tests-not because I don't know the material. I just think the government focus too much on testing instead of the child. Great post!!
Joey,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%, no standardize test is good enough to serve as the sole or primary basis for important educational decisions. As I stated in my post, “children have many learning styles and they should all be included. If a child learns through hands-on experience and seeing, then expecting that child to listen to instructions without giving concrete hands-on relationships is not teaching to the whole child and test results will be inaccurate for these children.”
Thank you for your post!
Valerie
Testing is not a bad idea afterall. It just need to be proven that these children actually know the material and not that they guess at the answer.
ReplyDeleteJoey,
ReplyDeleteThat would be interesting to observe a classroom in Chile, and see just how these methods are working. I've always thought it was funny because I am one who hates math, and I can honestly say I have never had to bust out paper and pen to do trigonometry in Wal-Mart. Let's focus on things we use people!
Tina