Assessment

I do not believe that tests are the only way to assess student learning partly because I don't agree fully with all of the testing schools must do and there are so many more factors involved when assessing learning. My first opinion revolves around the idea that much of the year is testing. Being a special education teacher my classes are constantly interrupted due to some type of test. I agree that pre-assessments and post-assessments should be given to tell what the student knows, what he/she still needs remediation on and if the student has mastered a particular set of skills; however, the amount of testing brings us the question: How much instruction is going on in the classroom (at no fault to the teacher since they do not have any control over district and state testing). My second opinion focuses on the various degrees and numerous factors that are not assessed and should be or the learning styles of our students. Again being the special education teacher of students with learning disabilities many of my students do not generalize the skills from one setting/area to another - which makes it close to impossible to determine their skill level with just a single test. Factors such as this, test anxiety, limited to no retention and low reading skills have a huge impact on their testing scores - yet many of them show positive testing and academic skills in the general and resource setting. Many tests do not assess whether a student can apply the skills learned. Rote memorization and teaching to the test are skills they learn and soon forget year to year.
I do think it is important to determine a baseline of skills but teaching to the test, subjecting students to continuous testing, holding teachers and schools accountable for things not in their control (realistically not every student will perform the same and to the same standards), and forgetting what really is important are not good measures of student learning and teacher quality.