Standardized Tests for Special Education Students
As a pre-service teacher, studying in special education, I have some sincere concerns about the future of our schools in America, as well as for my future students. I began my course of studies, believing that I had chosen one of the most important careers one can choose. I thought this career would be a chance to promote positive thinking and learning, but after a recent experience with the Illinois State Achievement Tests, my goal as become unclear.
While I do not suggest the dismissal of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), I do suggest taking a look at the law, and making some radical changes. As a pre-service teacher, I recently participated in the Illinois State Achievement Tests. I suggest to you, Mr. President, to sit with a special education student, read them the tests, and watch as they bewilderedly fight their way through answer after answer. Their lack in ability to achieve on these standardized achievement tests is not due to laziness or lack of academic studies, but disabilities that interfere with their abilities to sort through questions, and in most cases, study at grade level. While it is always the goal of a special education teacher to “catch” his or her student up to grade level, when the reality is the resources and funding for programs and technology that would make this possible are simply not available. I left that week of testing feeling absolutely defeated, for my students and with my students.
I suggest to you to allow special education students to take these tests at the current grade level which they are working. These students spend day in and day out struggling through their schoolwork. Teachers spend hours planning lessons and a curriculum that will hopefully allow for some success on these tests. The truth of the matter is, most of these students, regardless of the hours spent studying or planning, will not achieve anything on these exams. By asking special education students to take grade level tests, when they are clearly not capable of achieving at these levels, and using these scores to determine whether a school or teacher is failing or successful, we are blatantly ignoring the fact that the statistics yielded by these tests show nothing more than a student who simply filled in the bubbles. We are not gaining anything from forcing special education students to take tests upon which they are unable to achieve. We are simply adding to the multitude of frustration most of these students experience everyday in their academic careers. Instead of gaining knowledge about the school or the teacher, we are taking away self-esteem from our students each time we ask them to take a test they are not capable of completing.
This post was submitted by Kelli Cecchetti.
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Comments
I SO agree with this comment! I absolutely LOVE teaching, but when I spend a minimum of 23% of my students’ day administering tests in which no useful data/information is obtained, what can be the benefit of this? What are we doing to our students who already struggle? WHY, I ask are we doing this to our children. All my students are learning how to do is to guess at the answers rather than really think. They “KNOW” they can’t answer the questions and even when they try at the beginning of the test, by the end, they are bubbling away. I want my kids to really think and really know that they CAN answer the questions put before them! They deserve a better education than what we are providing, and it is NOT the teachers providing this wonderful benefit…we have NO choice, and no other options!
Very well stated. How do we get the message across to the decision makers who though up “no child left behind”.
How about vocational training designed to make students successful.