Under the No Child Left Behind Act, an inordinate amount of importance was placed on high stakes tests given once a year. The results of these tests were used more to rank schools and districts than to adjust daily instruction to meet the needs of students. As a result, most school districts in the United States obsessed over increasing test scores. With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, a stronger emphasis on advancing individual learning is emerging.
Knowing what a student understands and can do is critical to providing a high quality education. Why focus on "teaching" something a student already understands? Many students simply lose focus out of boredom if they are forced to participate in drills on concepts they don't need to practice.
On the other hand, if the information presented is far beyond the level of a student, they will be lost. Suddenly, the birds outside the window, the person sitting next to them or some other distraction will command their attention rather than the lesson being taught. In other words, teaching to the middle can basically be a waste of time for many students. Teachers need to know their students strengths and weaknesses to provide a high quality education to every pupil.
So, teachers assess, assess, and assess on a daily basis. They take observation notes, listen to students discuss topics and watch for body language. On a more formal level, teachers listen to students read, examine student work and give periodic tests and quizzes to check for understanding. This ongoing collection of information is critical to formulating curriculum based on the students in this year's class. Standardized tests given once a year provide information on group trends.
The Common Core State Standards come with a new standardized assessment system. This system will be grounded in technology. A variety of questions from simple multiple choice answers to complex performance tasks will be given. In order to succeed on the test, students must be well-versed in the use of computers. So, many districts throughout the United States are rushing to fund technology in schools. Where will the money come from?
California's new approach to funding for education places local communities directly in the center of financial decisions. Local school districts must base their spending on community input. Because allocations from the state will no longer be restricted to particular programs, school districts have the freedom to support programs most needed in their individual communities.
In many communities, funding for technology will take away from other services to students. Do communities want to fund technology for the sake of increasing testing scores, or for the sake of increased learning? As we prepare students for the future, it is critical to consider the challenges students will face. Each community must decide where to place the focus. This takes establishing a vision and determining exactly what the core values of the community are.
It's time to focus on student learning. What do students need to know and how do they learn? Technology is a key to teaching. It's time to plan with learning in mind, not test taking.
Let's keep students at the center!
Leslie Barkley is a first grade teacher at Grace Hudson Elementary School and the local chapter president of the California Teacher's Association.