BY DANA DiFILIPPO
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A proliferation of standardized tests has caused worries among educators that the emphasis on examinations is shifting their focus to "teaching to the test."
Twenty-one states require students to pass an achievement test to graduate; another six states are developing standards and tests, according to the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, D.C.
That trend has left some educators frustrated with the pressure for students to test well. Test results often determine whether principals keep their jobs, teachers get raises and even whether some schools can stay open.
"You have to teach to the tests if you want successful results," said Mary Gladden, principal at Taft High School in the West End. Taft administrators last year hired a testing expert with the sole goal of getting more students to pass proficiency tests. The specialist, whose salary is paid for by the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, spent five weeks before each test tutoring Taft juniors and seniors. She'll return this year.
Cincinnati Federation of Teachers President Tom Mooney said standardized tests are necessary, adding: "We believe in standards-based assessments. That's the bottom line."
But the frequency of tests in high school can prove distracting for students and teachers, he said.
Ohio students are required to take fourth-, sixth-, ninth- and 12th-grade Ohio Proficiency Tests. They get about 11 chances to take the ninth-grade test, which they must pass to earn a high-school diploma.
That means they can be tested about 14 times during their school career. And that doesn't include any other standardized tests students may take, including SATs and ACTs.
Interest in measuring student performance has increased since 1983, when the "Nation at Risk" report highlighted serious problems in education. Millions of Americans have become high-school seniors, even graduates, without learning to read or do basic math, according to performance on national measures. Meanwhile, national college admissions tests and other studies indicate grade inflation. Although President Clinton has been stymied in his push for national reading and math tests, states have pushed ahead.
Supporters say proficiency tests are a valuable measure of students' academic progress, and an accountability tool.
Critics complain they take away instruction time and force teachers to teach to the test, rather than teaching for learning's sake.
Some also worry black and Hispanic students, because of economic and language barriers, don't do as well.
