r/Teachers • u/gravitas1983 • 2h ago
Just Smile and Nod Y'all. Standardized testing overload
East coast high school ELA teacher here. Just found out yesterday we have to give ANOTHER standardized test, and we have to give it three times this year, starting next week. This is on top of the 3 existing literacy tests and 2 enormous state tests that we already have to give each year.
When I brought up in PLC that my students probably won’t show up because grades are closing this Friday and they often take a little break after all the overload of tests and projects, I was told “that’s on them.” Mind you, we’re required to make this new test a grade.
How much “data driven instruction” does one teacher need? I get enormous data from class work and assessments… I’d just like to occasionally give instruction without the over testing looming over my schedule.
1
u/Nice-Professional795 1h ago
Well, there are unuversal screener, diagnostics, benchmarks for curriculum, mid terms, finals, state tests, psat, sat, AP exams
Yeah, its a bit but a screener takes 30 minutes, the diagnostics only go to kids who ping on the screener, and then benchmarks should just be connected to the curriculum and used as a summative which makes grading make sense.
Which test is it and why is it a problem?
Tests are how we admin and interventionists know what's going on in classrooms. Unless you want us reviewing lesson plans and in class assessments
2
u/MagneticFlea 1h ago
We used to call this "weighing the pig". How do you fatten a pig? Certainly not by weighing it.