Data and Teaching

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine the other day. She was talking about how her school was climbing up the missed AYP ladder that NCLB has established. Ultimately that has resulted in her school focusing on teaching to the test- the results of that not yielding what they (school/district admin) have hoped (still really low, still "failing").

I understand the argument against one high stakes test. There are kids who have really good days, as well as really bad days. A kid might miss the standard by one question, whereas one makes it by a question. The delineation seems somewhat arbitrary, and the kids mentioned above usually are very similar in their skill sets. Eliminating the test wholesale isn't really a valid option for me. I'm ok with the idea that we need a yearly measuring stick. It could be helpful information for kids, parents, and teachers.

What I struggle to grasp is the logic behind teaching to the test. I understand the stakes that necessitate this sort of practice- jobs are at stake for adults, funding for the school, things of that nature. But if the test is based on the state standards, why not just continue to use the state standards? My teaching is rooted in those standards, and I make sure to periodically check which standards I still need to incorporate as the year goes on. I'll use some of the state released test items throughout the year, but not as my only teaching materials. They are a means of exposing kids to the question format, as well as test-taking strategies. But as a whole, when we use the released items I highlight the strategies we already use (go back to the text, look for clues, monitoring to see if the story or response makes sense).

The whole concept made me scratch my head. I've really tried to get away from the national/political end of education. But comes up from time to time and I'm still left confounded. I won't even get into the other issue at hand: who is actually responsible when cohort groups don't achieve, and what should be done with that information (the former being an easier question to answer than the latter I think).