Should standardized testing have an effect on graduation?
Part 1
High schools should not focus solely on getting students to pass the SOL testing system in order to graduate. For years standardized testing has been a part of the education system but students were not required to “pass” a certain amount in order to graduate. Yes, they are important but no child should be left out of one of the biggest moments in their life due to these test results. All students are not “good testers”, and the added pressure of graduation is more than some can handle. In many school systems the curriculum is “SOL based” and the teachers only teach the material necessary for the student to pass the test. Although this is helpful to some students in order to help them pass, it is a long-term hindrance for those planning to attend college. Colleges do not base their curriculum around individual state requirements. The broad range of material that is not taught causes some students to be placed well below their potential when they get to college. These students sit through placement testing and sometimes fall short because they were not taught in all the needed areas and have to sit through remedial classes in order to get on track. This is not fair to the students because that is more time added to their college career and more money for their parents to invest in their education.
Part 2–opposition
As a teacher, I feel that the test should be required for graduation. The students seem to focus more on their work knowing it will have a direct bearing on graduation. They seem to have more motivation to do a good job because they know the consequences of not passing the tests. The graduation stipulation should remain in place because it forces the students to have personal accountability and also acts as a backup for angry parents who can’t understand why their kids are failing. As far as the curriculum goes, we have to teach the stated material because if the scores fall short, the school looses accreditation and over time the state will take over the school. Once the state starts the takeover process many of us teachers lose our jobs. None of us want to be unemployed, therefore; we only teach the test materials in hopes of enhancing the students’ performance. The takeover also affects the schools’ administrative staff. They are the ones ultimately held liable for the students’ performance. If the teachers fail to help the students get good scores, the principal can also become unemployed for not implementing a system to keep their school on track.
