Students say that during test preparation time, they don’t get access to their usual lessons; they understand that come February, it is testing, testing, and testing. As more studies analyze the effects of high-stakes testing, it is clear that students are negatively affected, especially as it consumes their day-to-day school life. But why does it have to take up so much time? The reality is that millions of dollars go into these testing cycles, money that could fund student enrichment programs or other student services. Hundreds of companies reach out to school principals throughout the school year, promising better state assessment results. Schools and districts spend thousands of dollars every year looking for resources that can improve test scores. This is because those test scores carry heavy accountability. In Texas, many leaders have become experts on how many students must meet the STAAR assessment standard for the school’s rating to move from one letter grade to the next. This cycle of perpetual testing and academic competition among students, schools, and states won’t end anytime soon. The United States embraces these neoliberal tendencies that prize competition and quantifiable outcomes.

But does one reading score measured during one day in the school year accurately show how much that student learned that year? If not, then what can? After all, schools must be held accountable for student learning.

Multiple measures can assess student learning and growth throughout the school year. These include teacher observations, student self-assessments using rubrics, and portfolios. They include authentic assessments that focus not just on a score, but on the student’s higher-order thinking process throughout the assessment. They also require more time and resources throughout the year, not just on a single day. It is an investment in education that trusts educators and gives them the resources they need to build student-centered classrooms that support whole-child teaching.

But it is doable, and it would be fairer than a student’s performance on one reading standardized test and one math standardized test at the end of the school year.

My Take & What The Research Says:

As a mom of three children in high-stakes testing grades and a public educator with 15 years of experience, I propose a balanced assessment system.

Measuring Student Learning
Norm-Referenced Test	3x/Year	Math Reading	To compare student achievement nationally and measure growth
Performance Tasks	3x/Year	Science Social Studies Oral Communication	To enable students to analyze and solve real-world problems
Summative Assessments	6x/Year	Math Reading	To enable more common checks of student mastery of the learning standards and plan accordingly
Writing Pieces + Rubric	3x/Year	Writing	To measure growth in student writing with a focus on critical thinking and student self-assessment
*Teachers should use formative assessments, such as daily exit tickets, to create follow-up learning plans for students.

Measuring School Opportunities
# Enrichment Opportunities for Students	Mid-year and End-of-Year	To provide students with whole-child growth opportunities.
# of Involvement Opportunities for Parents	Mid-year and End-of-Year	To provide parents with choices for involvement at their child’s school.
# of Community Support or Engagement Opportunities for Families	Mid-year and End-of-Year	To provide support or engagement opportunities depending on families’ needs.

While these focus on student academic achievement, enrichment, and parental involvement opportunities, schools also need ways to measure student behaviors. Several school districts track the number of referrals each school has and which student group is most affected. Still, they need a more comprehensive, proactive approach to student behavior, especially as teachers report more disciplinary incidents than before. For example, some schools in England assess a student’s neurodiversity profile and analyze attributes such as energy levels. This helps them create more individualized plans to support behavioral success. This is powerful for many reasons because it helps educators address certain behaviors with a solutions-based approach. If the profile shows that a student is easily distracted, then the teacher can put some supports in place. If a student lacks motivation at a certain time of day, the teacher can build that into the academic schedule. The biggest benefit is that, with this level of understanding for each student, the teacher can prevent misbehavior. It would also enable educators to identify each student’s strengths and use them in their planning for student success.

Measuring Response to Behaviors
Professional Development on Neurodiversity Profiles	Before First Day of School	To build understanding that students learn and behave differently.
Student Interviews	Beginning-of-Year	To build a more in-depth understanding of each student and use it to tailor their instruction.
Learning Preference Inventory	Beginning-of-Year	To build a more in-depth understanding of each student and use it to tailor their instruction.

These are simple snapshots for assessing student success throughout the year. They are more comprehensive than a one-day assessment and help create a more effective understanding of how schools serve their students.

High-stakes testing stems from the competitive nature of the United States, which does more harm than good to minority groups because it comes with deficit-minded labels such as Needs Improvement. To change it requires thoughtful leadership. In Texas’ upcoming elections, look at where Abbott and Hinojosa stand. One of them wants to end STAAR testing. It is time to consider a life after high-stakes testing because that is what children deserve.

*Stay tuned for educational blogs where I share insights from my 15 years in public education, including as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. I also have the added perspective of conducting an educational study for my doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership.

The next post will cover discipline in Texas schools.