Is passing standardized testing more important or the student learning the material more important?

Question

States standardizing learning skills of students

Answer 1

The idea behind standardized testing is that it forces teachers to teach the material that some of the best teachers in the state have decided is the really important stuff.

They have to teach it so that their students know it. They can't just crap around. And then the students have to prove that they learned it.

All the standardized tests I;ve seen require students to solve word problems, use logic skills and recognize fundamentally important facts. I'm in favor of schools being held accountable for the performance of their students after the schools have soaked up millions of dollars. If the students do well, then the teachers should get a pat on the back. If the students do poorly, then the teachers deserve to be looking for a new job. Of course, you have to take into account the neighborhood and other factors that might make a teachers job hard. Or, the fact that they are in a good neighborhood with middle and upperclass students from stable homes....

Answer 2

Depending on who you ask. The score of standardized test provide schools with their funding, but as a goal for the teacher you are interested on how much the student knows about the material and is able to apply it in different context.

Answer 3

Learning in this country is standardized, so I suppose it makes sense that gaging the regurgitation of designated information on command is the only true indicator of success.

The real problem is the relationship of school districts to state and federal funding, when the government asks for concrete evidence of competence they are really asking for statistics, and nothing creates charts and spreadsheets better than a barrage of standardized testing.

Answer 4

Being able to recall and utilize the information is by far more important than just being able to pass a standardized test that is already far below standard. Just teaching to the bare minimum is not necessarily good or effective.

Answer 5

Depends on whether you are asking lawmakers or educators...