Standardized Tests: To Take or Not to Take? That is the question…
We are into April, and in my area, that means state testing for the local schools. Let's talk about standardized tests - it's a widely debated topic in the homeschooling community.
First of all, you may live in an area that requires your child to take standardized tests in order to adhere to the state law. There is no debate for you, my friend. Comply with your state laws. If you don't want your child to take standardized tests, then either you must become politically active to have the law changed, or you can relocate to a state that doesn't require testing.
If you live in a state where testing is not required (like I do), then you often have the option to let your child take the test with your local school. There are valid reasons for your child to take the test just as there are valid reasons to opt out. You should do what you think is best for your situation.
My husband and I have chosen not to have our children participate in state testing as of yet. Here are a few thoughts that helped us make this decision:
The test is going to cover the content the public schools are required to teach, and we don't follow the exact same order the public schools do. That means that my children would be at a disadvantage if they are asked about content taught in the public schools that we either covered a couple years ago or have yet to cover. We don't want to have to follow the same curriculum plan as the public schools.
Tests are conducted on a computer. In the early elementary years, we don't want to spend valuable time making the kids learn the logistics of how to take a standardized test on a computer.
It has been proven time and again that children learn in different ways and have unique areas of giftedness. No matter how many studies have been done on this matter, the education system continues to demand standardized testing.
We don't want our children to get discouraged at a young age by a score on a test that doesn't really measure what they have learned.
We are pragmatic, though. We understand that our kids will likely need to take the SAT or ACT to go to college (though who knows - I have seen a few colleges drop these test scores in recent years). So sometime in the junior high/high school years, we will begin to include some forms of testing to help prepare them for getting into college.
You might have excellent reasons for wanting your child to test. I know parents who want to use a test as a way of finding out areas they need to work on in their studies. Some parents feel that consistent testing will help their kids be more comfortable with the process so they are confident when they take college entrance tests.
As I encourage you to do in all areas of homeschooling: comply with your local laws and do what works best for your family (regardless of what friends and family think).
