‘Over-reliance  on test scores  is not good’

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12:55 PM Tuesday, February 9, 2010

I know Suzanne Larsen, president of the Middletown Teachers Association, was trying to explain why basing a teacher’s compensation on their students’ performance on the proficiency tests is not “only unfair but unreliable,” but she also made an excellent argument as to why these tests are “unfair and unreliable” to the students being tested.

As Ms. Larsen stated: “When it comes to these tests, we’re talking about a 2-1/2 hour window to perform. If something happens, either before or during the test, and the student doesn’t perform well, that is something we don’t have control over and doesn’t necessarily demonstrate a student’s ability.” Well said and well articulated.

So it should logically follow that if the proficiency tests shouldn’t serve as the only indicator of a teacher’s competency, we should take the same view about the students.

This over-reliance on test scores is not good for teachers or students. Back in my day (Class of ’72, Monroe), teaching to a test was considered a cop-out. A teacher is more than a test-giver. A student is more than a test-taker. I remember the magic times when a teacher would get off the subject and their love of teaching would shine — a learning experience that can’t be measured on a test.

I’ve long thought “No Child Left Behind” and the proficiency tests are not a good thing for public education. Hopefully, the discussions about “Race to the Top” can open a dialogue about testing that is long overdue.

Robin S. Fordyce

Trenton

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