To Test or not to Test
To Test or Not to Test Every year the schools prepare student to take their statewide test. The adoption of a test-driven educational system creates unhealthy competition between schools. This competition has led to inappropriate preparation strategies such as spending excessive amounts of time on tested content to the exclusion of mandated curricula. Some teachers also teach to the test, that is, they train students by using actual or look-alike items from previous assessments (Popham, 2001). Our district has spent a ridiculous amount of money on programs and training on how to be a better test taker. Each year we would stop teaching our regular curriculum and do test prep. We had books and workbooks for each of the students. The test is supoosed to help the teacher and the school with finding out where the studetn is struggling in abd find a way to help the studetn suceed in that area next year. The problem is with teachers getting new curriculum or being moved to another gr...