No Standardized Test Can Measure A Teacher’s Effectiveness – Another Nebulous Part Of That New Teacher Licensure Process Proposal

/ caffeinatedrage

Apologies to whomever said this or posted it, but when it reached my inbox it was not cited but it is certainly worth amplifying.

With news that the new model on teaching licensure and teacher pay that relies so much on student outcomes is being pushed by “reformers” and special interest groups, people need to realize that those outcomes are based on standardized tests.

Just look:

Look back at that original quote on standardized testing: “If we differentiate lessons, why do we give standardized tests?”

So, if we teach students from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of intelligences who experience different stressors that affect classroom engagement in classes that are already huge and taught by teachers who have to honor all of those learning styles through differentiation and give individual attention on limited time and resources, how can standardized tests really measure what we do?

They can’t.

One thought on “No Standardized Test Can Measure A Teacher’s Effectiveness – Another Nebulous Part Of That New Teacher Licensure Process Proposal”

  1. The tests are not designed to test what teachers do. They are designed to test what students know. It does not matter what pedagogy is used to teach math or reading or science or civics, students should be proficient. They may use any method they choose to arrive at correct answers on the standardized test.

    I absolutely disagree with the state’s new model of paying and evaluating educators for the exact reason stated in the post. We need to get to the point where every student in the classroom is proficient in the prerequisite standards before even considering any sort of merit system for educators.

    But, we need some objective method of measuring proficiency. Lawyers have to pass the bar. Medical professionals have to pass their exams. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons, contractors all have to pass a test to get their license.

    When I was growing up, a diploma was evidence one had a high school education. That is no longer the case; at least, not in WSFCS. All a diploma means in WSFCS is that one showed up, occasionally, for thirteen years.

    What a disservice to the students who actually earn theirs.

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