Allowing Teachers a Voice is Needed

Two days after I was hired back into the public school system, after teaching in a private school for a number of years, I was sent to Harrisburg for a two-day summer conference to learn how to give the 4-Sight exams - a series of tests that model the PSSA and can be used by schools in preparing their students for the PSSA. I spent two days listening to a presenter attempt to share the bells and whistles of the online data collection system, and learned very little about the structure and design of the tests themselves. Our school decided to "buy-into" this system because we were frightened into believing if we do not, then we would have to create our own local assessments which would be time-consuming and may not be accepted by the state as a fair representation of the PSSA. Once we obtained the use of it, we discovered that there were a series of flaws in the system (i.e. Upperclassmen would end up taking the same exact test years later as they did as underclassmen; we were informed, after purchasing it, that we were not permitted to discuss actual test questions with the students and essentially were not permitted to use the tests to re-teach (largely due to the fact that they would be taking the same test years later); and we also discovered that imputing the date required time and knowledge that no one in the building had). So we have been testing the students repeatedly for the last two years and have thus far provided them with little feedback in return.

Recognizing a hole in the system, it was decided by the higher-ups that this year, in addition to continuing this grueling and pointless process, we (my English department) is also required to create local assessments to give to the students on top of the 4-Sights that they already take, so that we can actually share the results with the students. So now we are doing both. Students will be taking even more tests than last year. I have no idea what the 4-Sights are costing our school district; however, I am guessing it is considerably pricey. It is frustrating to wonder if NCLB, and all of the mandates that go with this movement, is nothing other than a ploy to put money in "somebody's" pocket.

According to Katie Dredger , an AP Literature and Composition teacher whose article was recently featured in the September, 2008 edition of The English Journal, "National studies show former teachers find more autonomy over their work and more personal influence on policies and practices in their new professions than they did as public school teachers" (29). This disturbing statement captured my attention as I was browsing this article, largely due to the angst that is obvious when sharing state testing frustrations with my colleagues. Many experienced teachers have shared frustration with the current "No Child Left Behind" mandates, and a few have even questioned if there is anything we as teachers can do to make necessary changes.

I am not against Benchmark tests in order to determine what skills students already know and haven't yet grasped. I do think that these necessary tests save time and boredom as students are less likely to find themselves listening to instruction on concepts they have already grasped, as well as less likely to be frustrated with not knowing concepts that teachers assume they understand. I use this type of feedback frequently before introducing new units to assist me in planning my curriculum. However, I take issue with the barrage of tests that students are expected to take in preparation for the PSSA tests, when there is no direct follow-up with this students regarding the results. In our district, ALL students (with the exception of the seniors who have already passed the PSSA), take one 4-Sight, Benchmark, or Local Assessment every month in addition to the final PSSA test that "counts" in the Spring. Hours of instructional time is lost in the constant retesting. I have been in this district for three years and I have yet to see the data of any of these tests, have not been given the opportunity to share any feedback from them with my students, and do not even know if their score data is available. The only data I am privy to are the actual PSSA test scores and as an upper class teacher, those are from way back when my juniors were in eighth grade. As far as the content of these tests, I am not permitted to use them to remediate or re-teach any of the skills. I have mentioned to both my administration as well as conference presenters in Harrisburg that if I could only take one single, well-written test, and have access to not only the scores, but each individual student's results, and could also keep the actual test questions in front of me and them at some time following the test, I would be able to teach every concept within the test, from the test. Our district would then only need to give one single benchmark test, and an additional test following remediation to check for understanding. We would not need to have our students take nine tests a year. This idea is not going to sell costly, involved testing programs to schools, however.

My concern as PSSA moves in and takes over more districts, as it has for ours, is that the educational profession is going to lose their best and brightest teachers to professions in which these educated individuals have more influence. This negative impact of NCLB is far-reaching. Every child across America will be left behind if the best teachers leave the profession.

References

Dredger, K. (2008, September). Incorporating Student Choice: Reflective Practice and

the Courage To Change. English Journal. 98, 29-41.