School
is for Kids
By
Dr. Carole Hankin with Randi T. Sachs
Why
is it that we can’t have a discussion about school anymore without
mentioning the “T” word? Tests are not what school is all about.
School is about learning, and learning, when presented in an interesting
way, is what children most enjoy. Parents, teachers, and students
all need to focus on what is really important about school: getting
an education.
The purpose of most standardized testing is not to test the individual
child, but to see how the school’s curriculum matches up to a
chosen standard. Certainly, it is understandable that school administrators
and teachers are concerned that their students perform well on
these tests. But they should not be an overwhelming concern for
students and parents. Parents should know when their child is
learning in school. The more verbal child will share some of his
or her new knowledge with them, and will have something to say
when parents ask, “What did you do in school today?” But, all
children will demonstrate in other ways that they are learning;
increased interest in reading, improved academic skills, and even
more mature behavior generally indicate that a child is learning
in school.
It is ironic that at the same time that educators have recognized
the importance of teaching our children skills they can use to
enhance their learning across the board, like critical thinking,
research methods, and interdisciplinary studies, we are also mandated
to administer tests that have a much narrower focus. Although
we are obligated to continue to give these tests, we are also
obligated to make sure that these tests do not obscure the mission
of our schools.
Our school district has made a very strong commitment to making
the arts and music an integral part of our students’ education.
The benefits of these programs are not measured by testing, but
they are clearly evident in the performance of our children. Children
who are given the opportunity to study art at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art display what they have learned by producing their
own works of art that show a strong appreciation for an artist’s
style and methodology. Students who are given the opportunity
to study music with professionals are able to improve their performance
significantly in a very short period of time. The gains our students
make from these experiences are unmeasurable, but they are in
no way less valuable than the knowledge demonstrated by correct
answers on a test. We, as advocates for education, must make certain
that these types of learning experiences are not sacrificed because
of testing requirements.
If your children express concern about tests over the coming year,
assure them that learning and doing their best is what they should
be concentrating on. We are now at the beginning of a new school
year. One of the best things about school is that each September
our children are given the chance to make a fresh start. Let’s
make sure that our children measure their success this year by
how much they learn and how much they enjoy school.