Title: What's so bad about teaching to the test? | Parenting
Headings: What’s so bad about teaching to the test?
What’s so bad about teaching to the test?
Is teaching to the test bad?
No Child Left Behind puts testing on the front burner
It’s all about alignment
Some test-taking skills are important to learn
Tests can be used as diagnostic tools
Focus on the tests brings attention to state standards
When there isn’t alignment, there are problems
Where does teaching critical thinking fit in?
Is there too much emphasis on the tests?
High stakes mean high risks
Tests are here to stay
Questions to ask at your school

Content: GreatSchools Staff | September 14, 2010
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Is teaching to the test bad? It all depends on the test and the teacher. If the test measures the skills students are expected to be learning and teachers prepare students by teaching those skills, then teaching to the test is a good thing. But if the test is not directly related to what is being taught or teachers depend on repeated drills with old test questions to prepare students, it’s a different story. Teaching to the test can waste valuable learning time. No Child Left Behind puts testing on the front burner
The federal No Child Left Behind law (NCLB), which went into effect in 2002, has caused schools to “be accountable,” which translates into focusing a lot of attention on state standardized testing and results. It requires all schools to test students in grades 2-12 in reading, math and science. Each state chooses its own test and standards of proficiency. Schools that don’t show that students are making “adequate yearly progress” toward achieving proficiency are subject to federal sanctions, including loss of federal funds, providing free tutoring, allowing students to transfer to another school, and if all else fails, a complete restructuring of the school. Advertisement
Critics of the law say that the emphasis on testing in reading and math means other subjects, such as social studies and the arts, are getting less attention.