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: “There is a big difference between teaching to the test and teaching the test,” says Nancy Grasmick, Maryland’s state superintendent of schools, in a recent article in the American School Boards Journal. “ If you’re teaching to the test and you’re mirroring good teaching that will enhance learning, then we don’t see anything wrong with that.” When there isn’t alignment, there are problems
Problems arise when the state test is not aligned with the standards. Students are then tested on skills that may not be part of the curriculum and schools feel pressure to have their students perform well on state tests because these results are published in the local newspapers. Test prep then means taking time away from the standards-based curriculum to teach test items and test-taking skills. Howard Everson, formerly with the College Board and currently professor of psychometrics at Fordham University, sees problems with these non-aligned state tests: “ Many of the large-scale assessments (state tests) are too far removed from curriculum and instruction. They don’t provide enough information back to the classroom. And the state agencies are not quite sure how to deal with the problem. “They’re reliant on testing contractors and restrained by budget.