Personal Reflection

“ONE HOUR HAS ELAPSED; YOU HAVE TWO HOURS TO COMPLETE YOUR EXAMINATION.”

“TWO HOURS HAVE ELAPSED; YOU HAVE ONE HOUR TO COMPLETE YOUR EXAMINATION.”

“STOP! CLOSE YOUR EXAMINATION BOOKLETS IMMEDIATELY, TURN IN ALL MATERIALS TO THE EXAMINER.”

I can’t count the number of times I have heard those instructions from a test proctor throughout school. From taking the New Jersey HSPA (High School Proficiency Assessment), the NJBCT (New Jersey Biology Competency Exam), and various other standardized tests throughout high school, these instructions are burned into my mind. Due to legislation such as NCLB and Race to the Top, increased testing in schools remains a reality in American public education. Through this final project, I was able to learn about and better understand the controversies over high-stakes testing and the grassroots organizations that have formed around this issue.standardized_test_sheet_and_pencil

High-stakes tests play a huge role in urban education, as legislators and administrators heavily rely on test scores to determine a school’s outcome. A series of bad test scores, or even simply a lack of improvement year to year, allows administrators to fire teachers and even close schools.

Being from a mostly white, wealthy suburb, I had never given much thought to the fairness and validity of standardized tests. Weeks of testing were just a phenomenon I had grown accustomed to, and even liked because it meant a week of no homework in my other classes. Through my Urban Education class and this final project, however, I learned a lot about the inequities of the public school system and how high-stakes testing only serves to perpetuate these inequalities. High-stakes tests are weighted towards wealthier students, those with more school resources, and against students from poorer areas. Test scores are directly correlated with income, and thus with race. African-American and Latino students are often concentrated in low-income areas, due to residential segregation and other factors, and thus achieve lower scores on these tests.

testing5This project left me feeling hopeful, however, as I saw the potential for community organizing through grassroots groups. Learning about the victories of these groups, such as Scrap the MAP who caused Seattle administrators to make high-stakes tests optional, made me more optimistic about the future of urban and public education in general. There are many groups that care deeply about this issue, and many other issues in public education. Through this project, I was able to learn about the challenges and victories of grassroots organizations, which helped me better understand community activism as a whole. I feel more confident about the power of students, teachers, and communities to make a difference in public education.