LESS TESTING AND MORE TEACHING
Unnecessary standardized testing reduces critical instructional time, and low-income students of color are the most affected. LAUSD must allow educator discretion in testing.
“As a special education teacher going into my 14th year of teaching, I know that standardized tests do not help students learn. Students with disabilities and English language learners have the most difficulty with standardized assessments, but even students who are performing at grade level may also struggle with them. Scores do not necessarily reflect the students’ strengths, needs, and abilities. Last year, my students took between 43 and 50 assessments. I’ve seen firsthand that when students are tested too often, they shut down, get stressed out, and demonstrate symptoms of anxi- ety, nervousness, and negative self-image. The district must allow teachers to choose the types of assessments they will use to support their instruction, the students’ learning goals, and provide authentic information about the supports students need. We dedicate numerous hours to planning curriculum and should be given the professional discretion to decide which assessments to use and how often we need to conduct them. This will allow more time for students to engage in hands-on learning, project-based learning, and collaborative and creative work.”
Special Education and Social Studies Teacher,
Sotomayor Center for Arts and Sciences
Just the Facts
Last year, LAUSD students in grades TK-6 took more than 100 standardized tests. With all of that time spent taking tests, when do students have a chance to learn? A national survey found that a majority of teachers believe that they spend too much time planning for and administering standardized tests.1 An overwhelming majority also believe that students spend too much time taking tests.2 Unnecessary standardized testing reduces critical instructional time. That means less time for classroom instruction or enriching subjects like music, art, and ethnic studies. Low-income students of color are the most impacted by standardized tests, and English language learners take a much higher percentage of tests.
LAUSD must provide teachers with discretion to determine when and/or what standardized assessments are used in their classrooms beyond those required by the state or federal government. Teachers must be able to shape their instructional time so that students are not overwhelmed by unnecessary standardized tests.
1 Center on Education Policy (CEP), “Listen to Us: Teacher Views and Voices.” George Washington University. May2016. p.5