Teaching how to Teach

Peter Schmidt, director of studies at Gill St. Bernard’s School in Phillipsburg NJ, focuses this article on a serious issue throughout the American Education system:
  
"the growing influence of standardized tests and the test preparation industry for students as young    as those entering preschool to those who are preparing to enter graduate-level programs."

In the first paragraph of his letter to The New York Times Schmidt establishes his credibility on the subject; as a teacher for two decades and a high school principal  for another two decades, Schmidt has been living in a world of standardized testing. While not directly stated in the article anyone who has been or has had kids that have been in high school in the past 10 years knows what a huge impact standardized testing has had on education. Classes are paced based on "material to be covered" and if they're "ahead/behind schedule," not on how students are progressing. Every unit has its "vocab words" and "goals for the week" that must be learned. Some states will even base funding off of what results the school shows in its standardized testing. So when it comes spring its entirely natural for the faculty to drop their lessons, their projects and their discussions, and instead spend 1-2 weeks reviewing. Then of course that is followed with a whole week of S.T.A.R. or T.A.K.S. or C.A.T.S. testing; whatever your state wants to call it. Simply making the focus of the class these tests isn't enough. Instead students are forced to be pulled from a normal class day for 2-3 WEEKS to prepare for these tests. Needless to say Schmidt has some experience with standardized testing and how it can effect education.

Schmidt follows by introducing his argument, that such emphasis on standardized testing not only produces "unrelieved anxiety for students and their parents, but also interferes with students’ independent thinking, deep engagement with ideas in the classroom, and, ultimately, intellectual and moral development." After which Schmidt proposes three solutions to this problem.

1. Have colleges and Universities drop their requirement of SAT scores.
2. Secondary Schools need to lower their pressure on students to take and pass A.P. classes.
3. Have all schools from preschool through graduate education embrace once again the idea that creativity and imagination are at the core of genuine learning.

Schmidt argues that college SAT requirements create a disparity among students, keying in on the fact that economically advantaged students can take test prep classes or buy test prep books; something that more lacking students don't necessarily have available to them. While I agree with Schmidt's point here I also think it can be taken a bit farther. For one, there are several students out there that are exceptionally smart; they know the material, they have good study habits, they're responsible and dedicated, but they just aren't good at taking test. Test anxiety, misunderstanding due to format, whatever the reason these people just won't show their full potential through a standardized test. For a post-secondary institute to place so much emphasis on a standardized test is harmful, for the school on the great students they may be missing out on and for the student who has been misrepresented. However, this isn't a problem solely facing the S.A.T as the AP tests have the exact same issue. They put so much pressure on students to pass these certain few tests that school is hardly about learning anymore.

While Schmidt's letter was simply directed to an Editor at The New York Times it has a far broader message on an issue that should be a genuine concern to the American people. If we push the younger generations into an education focused purely on testing what will that do to our future? What will happen to innovation and creativity? How will we make progress?