High stakes school testing

There was a terrific interview today (12/15/14) on Seattle radio station's KUOW with a high school teacher who has written critically about and engaged in active protest against standardized testing in the schools. (http://kuow.org/post/case-against-hig...). This is one of the issues I address in my new novel, "A Cup of Hemlock." The teacher in the interview, Jess Hagopian, argues that such testing is almost always a poor measuring stick of a student's capacity to learn, much less a predictor of success later in life. Rather, such tests reflect the student's socio-economic background more than it does his/her ability to thrive in school. Furthermore, the systems put in place that prep for and administer these tests compromise opportunities for students to receive a fully developed, well-rounded set of educational opportunities.

This argument is advanced effectively, I think, in "A Cup of Hemlock." (It is, surprise!, a factor in the murder of the teacher in the story.) It was certainly a painful experience for me and my colleagues at Milwaukie High School in Oregon, where I taught from 1986-2001 as we watched fabulous "fringe" programs like art, music, home skills, shop skills, and dramatics severely cut back or eliminated so that the "core curriculum" (math, social studies, science and English) could be beefed up. This development may not seem so bad on its face, but in each of these areas, testing and teaching to the test became the norm. Critical thinking skills, a deeper understanding of the geo-political environment we all inhabit, not to mention a development of appreciation for the rich meanings found in the humanities--all this went by the wayside.

It is encouraging to hear of the resistance that has been growing among parents, teachers, administrators and students to the testing craze that has made most people involved in schooling crazy. I hope such resistance continues and grows--for the good of our society.