No matter what grade your child is in, be prepared for achievement tests to begin almost as soon as the school year starts. Chances are you remember taking tests while in school too, nervous about how well you will do and how well you remember the information being tested. But do you know why there are achievement tests in schools, and how it might change over time?
What Are Achievement Tests?
Very simply put, the tests are any type of test performed in schools to evaluate their students’ knowledge. It can be a teacher’s test that they prepared themselves to gauge how the students are doing, such as a written or multiple choice exam, or even a pop quiz. It can also be bar exams and board exams. Tests such as the SAT or ACT, are actually called aptitude tests and fall in a different category. It is a measured test to check for knowledge but it is typically used to determine a student’s potential for success, while an achievement test is simply about what knowledge has been gained.
Why Have Achievement Tests?
Achievement tests are a staple in US schools because it was the easiest way to evaluate each individual student on their performance. It is very tricky to say who is learning and who is retaining the information being taught, so tests are a way for the school system to gauge how well a teacher is teaching, and how well a school is performing in getting kids to learn. A test can show what a child remembers from being taught, and if they were taught anything at all, thus showing what the school is capable of doing with taxpayers’ money.
Changing the Way We Test
Some may argue that while achievement tests can show how well a student is learning, it may not always be accurate for every individual. Some students get super nervous when taking a test, and may forget valuable information that they did learn previously. Some students have a harder time focusing on material and may not perform well on a test when they have to focus on that specific task on hand. For these and many other reasons, some schools are re-evualting the testing process and seeing if they can do it differently. Although many school systems still require achievement tests, some schools are trying things like projects and student portfolios instead of tests to show what the students have learned, and it is gaining momentum.
We may start to see a shift in the way our children are being tested, which may be a test for us as parents!
Katie Kyzivat