Standardized Testing - An Idea Whose Time Has Come … and Gone?

The Saskatchewan government recently announced that “by the end of 2016, every Saskatchewan student between grades 4 and 12 will take part in yearly provincial standardized assessments.”

Anybody concerned with our children’s schooling would be wise to ask, “Why?”

As the thoughtful editorial in Friday’s StarPhoenix newspaper suggested, the provincial government has to make a better case for why they want every student in grades 4 to 12 to undergo this type of anxiety-creating assessment every year.

For one thing, it seems like the standardized testing craze that arrived so late in Saskatchewan might soon be sent packing elsewhere. B.C. NDP leader Adrian Dix, widely expected to soon become premier, has stated that he will change B.C.’s FSA tests for all students in grades 4, 7 and 10 to a random sample test. Even Alberta’s Premier Allison Redford has considered a similar random sampling approach. (I have no problem with the random sampling approach, by the way. It can tell us if certain social groups are falling behind, which is valuable information. And with random sampling, a student is likely to write at most a standardized test once in their schooling career, not nine times, which is what is going to happen if the Sask Party people go through with their plans.)

Educational leaders across the United States are also expressing doubts about the usefulness of these tests. Over 600 schools in Texas passed resolutions in 2012 demanding a reduction in high-stakes testing because they were ineffective. Indeed, the Republican-dominated House of the Texas Legislature put forth a budget for 2014-15 that entirely eliminated all funding for standardized testing. Resistance among educational stakeholders is gaining traction in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, Virginia and California.

Dr. Pasi Sahlberg is a leading educator in Finland and author of the popular book Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? When Sahlberg was recently asked by Tom Shields of the University of Richmond (Virginia) what was the most important educational reform the U.S. could do to improve its school system, he quickly answered, “Eliminate high-stakes standardized testing.”

Why should we listen to a Finnish educator? Because Finland is committed to what Sahlberg calls a “fear free” school system that eschews competition, failure, and yes, standardized testing. The one exception to this is when 16- year old Finns write the OECD PISA exams every three years. Paradoxically, among the 34 countries Finland stands at or near the top each year in all three subjects! Last time in 2009, Finland stood sixth in math, second in science, and third in reading. American students finished 31^st, 23^rd, and 17^th, respectively. Canadian students typically finish much closer to the Finns than to the Americans. Yet the Finns do not subject their children to relentless standardized testing like the Americans and Canadians do. Now that's impressive.

Dr. Sahlberg explained on CBC Radio’s Sunday Edition that standardized testing, especially in the elementary years, robs children of their childhood by blocking “imagination and play.” Sahlberg explained that where standardized testing is mandatory, teachers teach to the test and a much narrower curriculum. Students are not taught how to think through complex social problems. Rather, these tests usually measure the transmission and recollection of facts. At best, that’s all they measure.

When high stakes standardized test results are published in newspapers, many negative side effects arise. Schools that do poorly have a significant drop in student and teacher morale. These schools are usually in poor neighbourhoods where resources are not as readily available and social problems are more intense. Further, a Boston College study showed that in order to have higher average test scores, some schools in the U.S. suspend low-scoring students or push them out of school completely.

There is much research that shows the bias in standardized testing favours students who are white and middle class. Is that fair?

Moreover, the intense focus on math, science and reading inevitably leads to less time for the arts, music and physical education. Is this really what we want in our society?

Lastly, many children experience increased anxiety as the standardized testing date gets closer. Is this really what parents want for their children every year for nine years?

It is clear that the moment of euphoria for standardized testing has long disappeared. This is a good thing. It is too bad that no one has mentioned this to the Saskatchewan government.

Note: The Action Canada Task Force just released a report on standardized testing in Ontario (available at http://testingillusion.ca). It's a very interesting policy piece. Maybe this standardized testing craze can be chased out of the entire country!