I cannot begin to add up how many hours of training I have had over the last 20 years that has been directed at the fact that not all students are alike and therefore should not be treated alike, educated alike, and/or assessed alike. That is why it baffles me that my state (Texas), and the Nation for that matter, still persist in evaluating students with a standardized test given to all students of a particular grade level.
What about that student who has severe test anxiety? Or the dyslexic student? Or the kinesthetic student? Is a standardized test really a true representation of what these students know? NO!! To get a full and complete picture of what a student has learned, they must be evaluated in the way that they learn best. A better practice is to assess students using more than one format such as by portfolios, rubrics, standardized tests, oral questioning, and physical activities to see if they can do what is being asked. I do not believe that standardized test should be completely done away with; there are students who this is their best assessment method. I just do not believe it should be the only form of assessment.
I believe that it is only through a variety of assessment tools that I can get a true picture of what my students know and have learned. I will continue to assess my students in a variety of ways to ensure a fair view of their abilities in my classroom.
image from Edutwist - Teaching and Technology. (2009). retrieved December 1, 2010 from http://edutwist.com/elin/page/2/
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