Tests’ data can help engage students
Marquavian was hanging back on his way out of the classroom. As his English teacher at The Soulsville Charter School, I had been struggling for weeks to develop a consistent relationship with him, but I could tell he didn’t fully trust me yet.
To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure about him either.
“Ms. Fricano, I know you think I’m dumb or something, but I’m not.”
“Marquavian, what makes you say that I think you’re dumb?”
“You keep giving me these tests that say I don’t know this stuff, but I do. I just don’t really care about those tests.”
“Listen, I know you are smart. But in order to help you grow, I need to know where your weaknesses — and your strengths — are. A low score on the test doesn’t mean you aren’t smart. It just means we have some work to do. If you don’t try on the test, how will I know what you can and can’t do? How will we know when you’ve grown?”
I saw the flicker of a light bulb go off in Marquavian’s expression, and I hoped that we had begun a conversation that had the potential to change his perception of school and open doors for his future. Marquavian’s feelings about assessments are much like many of my other students’. They have been trained to think that a test score measures their intelligence and ability level, and is a judgment on their worth.
Unfortunately, they have probably met with some adults in their lives that have corroborated this misconception.
It is my job as an educator to change the narrative around assessments. I did not come to this understanding easily. I instinctively placed more value in qualitative data, and I doubted whether numbers could provide an accurate perception of an individual’s or my class’ growth in an English class. I fell into the trap of believing that I “knew” my students’ needs, but I had no little to no data to support my assumptions.
The longer I teach and advocate for my students, the more apparent the achievement gap becomes. I am confronted daily by the reality that our children of color in impoverished areas are not receiving the same high-quality instruction as those in more affluent neighborhoods.
I have found that it is not enough to believe in the importance of a standardized assessment as an abstract, political movement. As a classroom teacher, it is
my job to invest my students and parents in the assessment as a tool for growth and transformation, not judgment and punishment.
When I use this information as it is intended — to help me develop and deliver lessons that target each student where he or she needs it the most — I am able to maximize my effectiveness as an educator. Even more important, however, when my students are invested in the data, together we can set challenging but attainable goals that enable them to begin to experience success.
Most educators agree that it is important that students understand that their self-worth does not lie in a test score. Many students have been pushed through a system that labels and categorizes them based on a variety of factors that are beyond their control.
They have become disenfranchised by testing and school in general. I believe that as we shift to better standards and more authentic assessments, it is important to focus on how these transitions will lead to improved opportunities for our kids when they become adults.
Carly Fricano has been teaching for six years in Shelby County. She holds a master’s degree in education from Christian Brothers University and is a member of the 2016-17 Tennessee Educator Fellowship. Reach her on Twitter as @CarlyFricano.