Why do schools still give standardized tests? What are the types of tests given? And what should parents do once they receive the results?

It is standardized test season – though it seems like they are given year round now – and time for the education experts to announce their best test-named acronyms, such as MAP, SAT, and BEST.  

Some of our students’ favorite education acronyms over the years have included: 

SCHOOL – Sucking Children’s Happiness Out Of Life 

MATH – Mental Abuse to Humans 

and 

HOMEWORK – Half Of My Energy Wasted On Random Knowledge

But seriously, even the phrase standardized test can conjure up different emotions. So before we go any further, let’s agree on a description. According to Forbes, “Standardized tests are used to set national and state policy for education reform, inform local decision-making, identify accountability measures, and make decisions regarding resource allocation.”

Types of standardized tests

There are two main types of standardized tests: criterion and norm-referenced. 

Criterion-based testing is essentially the student versus the content. In theory every student taking the test could earn a high score or demonstrate mastery. A state driver’s license exam or end of school year state education tests given to students would be examples.

Norm-referenced testing is comparative and ranks students against each other. It is the test taker versus the test taker sitting next to them. Only 1% of students can score in the 99 percentile. The college application exams SAT and ACT would be popular examples.

Narrowing our focus more locally to Florida, public school students in the Sunshine State take several criterion-based standardized tests. One is called the FAST:

Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) 

• A standardized test in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics for grades VPK–10
• Administered three times per year to monitor student progress
• Aligned with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards

Another set of tests for Floridian students are the EOCs or End-of-Course assessments:

• Computer-based assessments that measure student performance in specific courses
• Include assessments in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry

According to the Florida Department of Education:

“The EOC assessments are designed to measure student achievement of the specified standards for middle and high-school level courses in Mathematics (Algebra 1, Geometry), Science (Biology 1), and Social Studies (Civics and U.S. History).”

As one could imagine, this is a lot of data collection and assessment of students. Is it all necessary?

Why give standardized tests?

Grades are not always an accurate reflection of student performance. Ed Week reports that in the period from 2018 to 2021 standardized test scores on the ACT dropped while over the same time frame student GPA increased. Why? Grading methodology varies from teacher to teacher and grades themselves tend to include a “mix of non-academic factors, such as student behavior, class participation, and extra credit,” according to the Ed Week article. It goes on to state that grade inflation has continued since the pandemic.

Here are some common arguments for and against their use:

Arguments for standardized test use:

• Universal standard that all students are assessed against the same criteria
• Accountability and data collection
• Identifying trends over time
• Identifying areas for improvement in either curriculum materials, teaching strategies, or both

Arguments against their use:

• Narrows the curriculum – tests do not cover everything
• Inaccurate measure of student learning – some students simply do not test well
• Stress and anxiety on both the students and teachers
• Focus on test preparation, which can take massive amounts of instructional time

Of course we would be remiss if we did not mention the Opt-Out movement, which gained the most momentum in the mid-2010s and still has support. Reasons a parent may opt their child out of standardized testing include concern over the stress it places on the student and the heavy emphasis placed on these single results to assess a child. 

What to do once parents receive their child’s standardized test score

Once the results arrive from a standardized test there several steps a parent should take. 

First, talk with your child’s teacher to understand their context and what the scores actually mean. Do the test results reflect the grades your child has been earning this school year? In other words, if your child scores well on the test and they have been receiving As and Bs, it would seem the results match up. However, if your child has been receiving As and Bs and they do poorly on the test, then follow up questions are needed. The teacher ought to be able to supply some of the information.

Next, understand the purpose of the test. Was it to track progress? Identify areas for intervention? To inform instruction? Of course the teacher ought be able to provide these answers, too.

Finally, look for patterns in your child’s score over time. Has your child always struggled on standardized tests? Is there a sudden worsening of performance? 

10 Essential life skills that standardized tests do not assess

Whether your child is a top test taker or struggles to perform on assessments, there are many critically important life skills that are not assessed on standardized tests. Engage the Brain encourages parents to continuously teach and promote these skills:

• Empathy – how your child can relate to others from their point of view
• Positive body language: sit up, make eye contact, nod to signal understanding…
• How to handle money and understand the value of it.
• Arrive on time – to school, a job, a sports practice, etc.
• How to handle stress and anxiety
• Healthy habits and self-care: diet, sleep and exercise
• How to do a load of laundry properly
• How and when to self-advocate and or communicate – face to face, email, text, phone call.
• Being coachable and adopting a growth mindset
• Possessing a positive attitude and cultivating optimism

Final thoughts

Standardized tests are a fact of life for most K-12 students. Knowing the format and purpose of the exam is important for parents to begin to truly understand the results. Whether the test is a mid-year check, an end of year cumulative assessment, or college entrance exam, knowing the function of the test will help place the results in better context. And of course your child’s teacher ought to be able to provide any necessary information about the standardized tests administered by them in their classroom. And remember: the most important skills are not assessed on standardized tests!

If your child struggles with standardized test taking – or even taking tests in general – contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discover how a Learning Specialist could help your child adopt critical thinking skills and test taking strategies that could help them improve on their assessment performance.