Testing, Testing

I had a conversation this afternoon with a mother whom I believe is quite well informed, and whose child is now in high school. We were discussing something about education and I pointed out the theory that I've been mulling over, with a friend, that until children have a stake in the "high stakes" testing, it will remain difficult to motivate certain students to do well. Anyway, this mother expressed genuine surprise that the CRT tests that she knows are given every year are not a part of her child's grades. That this hugely important test is only important to the school's ranking, not the student's ranking or status or GPA.

I admit I was completely startled that she didn't know that. I thought after all the years that we've been giving these CRT (criterion referenced tests) that parents understood that the test is measuring the schools. Yes, yes, the students get a score, but it doesn't go on the student's report card nor affect whether they are passed on to the next grade --- in elementary school, that is. In high school, there are proficiency exams that are criterion referenced which must be passed in order to graduate. But the CRT's in elementary are only used as a way to rate the school.

[Actually, in my school, we use these scores to rank students and help us figure out who needs extra help. But the extra help is designed to get a passing score on the test--yes, as a by-product, the students should learn more, and gain mastery over certain skills, but the real goal is a higher percentage of passing scores so that the school can maintain its ranking as making "Adequate Yearly Progress."]

What I'm asking here is, are there other parents---a lot or a few---who don't realize that all this work and focus and effort isn't part of what we grade? Now, I realize that if a student is skilled enough to get above the "cut-off score" on the high-stakes yearly test, then in all likelihood, that student is also getting passing scores on their report card. But, seriously, the whole focus of our school year is that CRT test--it's all about the rankings.

I'm not stating that our ranking is irrelevant--I got a cash bonus last fall because we'd scored so well in our school. I know that I love working at my school because we are all aware of each student's ranking and we do give extra instruction, strategies and tutoring to the students who are "on the bubble" [almost passing] so that they can push on through to a passing score this year. It helps the students---they are learning more. But, again, it's about our ranking. That is our motivation as stated over and over again by our leader.

What I was wondering, though, is whether there is some way we can give the students a stake in this, too? We have informal ways: we have a drawing at our school for every kid who passes both the math and reading tests. All of their names go into the hat and the teachers and staff members all agree to donate prizes: iPod touch, movie tickets, gift cards for games and stores and restaurants, etc. So, a reward party is given. Also, my grade level is planning our own ice cream party for the students who pass one or both, and we're going to give an Olympic-type medal to the those who pass both. Then we're photographing them and making a poster to put in our Hall of Fame.

But, by the time kids get into 5th and 8th grades, where the tests are given (and some 4th graders, too) there are those who really don't give a hoot whether they pass or not. They don't like tests, they don't really care about the results and so they just blithely go through and check off...whatever...on their scantron sheet. Big deal, they shrug.

What if they couldn't be promoted if they didn't get a passing score? Would they be more diligent? Would the students get more help, or more encouragement, or more "You better do a good job or else..." insistence/help from home if parents knew their child would be repeating a grade until they could show mastery of reading and math at that grade level through this CRT?

Discuss...(and, hey, let me know your thoughts and experience on this topic.)