I used my handy dandy cell phone to do a screen capture of this level in Candy Crush Saga. After looking at it for a few minutes, I sent the picture to a friend who immediately replied in true blogger form with, There’s a blog post in that!
Well of course there is! In fact, after I looked at it from a blogger’s perspective again, I realized it was exactly the picture I needed for this post. Perfect!
My disclaimer:
This post is a mixture of opinion and fact. If you agree with it, then clearly it is fact. If you disagree, it is, without a doubt, opinion. That way, despite my opinions and your opinions, we can all still be friends and go to the playground, sit on top of the jungle gym and talk about the cute car with built-in GPS and a radio with only the music we want. Ok? Cool!
Homeschool and the Standardized Test
What is a standardized test?
According to Edutopia‘s article, ‘Standardized Testing Fails The Exam,’ a standardized test is any test that’s administered, scored, and interpreted in a standard, predetermined manner.
In the public school, this is generally the testing that is used at various points throughout the school year to measure benchmarks and progress towards the final goal. It is also the testing used at the end of the year to measure a student’s overall progress during the school year.
In a homeschool setting, the same is true. Standardized testing can be used as part of a boxed curriculum to measure benchmarks throughout the year, but also it is used as a measure of the student’s overall progress at the end of a selected time period. In the homeschool setting two of the more popular standardized tests are Iowa Test of Basic Skills and California Achievement Tests.
What is the purpose of a standardized test?
In public schools and home schools alike, standardized tests are used to measure academic growth. The scores are compared against different subgroups to determine how each group is performing in comparison to others. For instance, homeschool vs. public school vs. private school students, or boys vs. girls, different ethnic groups, special education students vs. regular education students, and so on.
In public schools, to some extent, it is also used to measure the quality of the teacher. For instance, if a teacher has a pattern of low test scores, it may show areas of growth necessary for him/her.
In home schools, standardized testing will give the parents an idea of how the student is performing in relation to others his/her age. In addition, these tests will also give parents an idea of academic areas that might need more focus or a different approach to teaching in the future.
When combined, the scores from standardized tests across the country are used to compare the performance of students in the United States to the students in other countries. However, this is an unfair comparison. In the United States, all public school, and many non public school students are administered a standardized test. Therefore, the U.S. is testing more students from disadvantaged backgrounds and more students with disabilities. Other countries do not test or report all of those scores (Economic Policy Institute, What Do International Tests Really Show About U.S. Student Performance?)
Pros and Cons of Using Standardized Tests in a Homeschool Setting
Pros
- provides data about strengths and weaknesses – the data can be used to tweak the way parents teach their children in the future
- gives parents an idea of how their child compares academically to their same age peers
- provides early exposure and experience with standardized testing that will help students prepare for college entrance exams and exams in their college classes
Cons
- testing may cause unnecessary stress or anxiety in your child (and in you)
- testing a child with special needs can cause even more anxiety because the child may not understand the material or the process – the score may cause more angst for you, even though you know not to expect the best, it is still difficult
- the score will likely hit you in the face – good or bad – a good score will give you reason to be proud and share with others, while a low score will cause disheartening and likely cause you to question your ability and decisions to homeschool (when you have no reason to question)
- possible differences in beliefs and therefore differences in what material you have chosen to teach can cause confusion and possibly lead to a lower score (for example, evolution vs. creation)
Alternatives to Standardized Testing
A child who is unable to perform under the pressure could be a child with intellectual disability, physical disability, emotional disability, etc. For example, my oldest son is in public school and has modifications to be allowed to take his test with his teacher in a small setting. Otherwise, due to his intense anxiety, he would not be able to perform under the pressure despite his academic success.
If testing is required by your state, and you have a child who may not be able to perform under the pressure of a standardized test, I encourage you to research whether your state allows you to provide a portfolio or other alternative assessments.
Standardized testing certainly has it’s place and purpose in academics. Unfortunately, like the cherries in the top right corner of the Candy Crush picture, we back our children into a test corner and expect them to find their way out. For many children, this is an unfair expectation and can put everyone involved in an uncomfortable situation.
If testing is not required by your state, I encourage you to weigh the pros and cons of testing in your particular situation. Each child and each situation is different and the choice may be different for each child.
The great thing about homeschooling? That is OKAY!
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