Opting Out.....

My children are reaching an age where they will soon be required to take the standardized tests in school. I absolutely hated these tests when I was in school, regardless of how well I did, I always felt like I didn't do well enough because there was someone who did better. By the time I hit high school and needed to take my SAT's I had enough of "filling in the circle" that I took them without ever studying or preparing for the SAT's, my scores were average and I didn't care. When I took the ACT's, it was the same, I think there was one whole page that simply tried to make an image using the the circle bubbles. In fact, when we moved here and I applied to the local community college, I had to "retake" my ACT test and when I got my results and they compared them, she asked if I was not feeling that day. I told her no, I simply didn't try and that I wasn't interested in taking the test that day.

I've never like standardized tests and as I read more about the Common Core Standards the result that will come from that push, with more testing, I find myself at a cross-road....Do I opt my children out of these standardize tests (yes, you can opt out of them) or do I allow them to partake in these exams? I firmly believe these test actually do more harm and do not define the worth, the potential and the achievement of any students and yet state governments uses these tests to base their educational decisions on.

So, do we take a stand and say, "No, enough is enough, my child is not a test-score" and opt them out or by opting them out will it make my children feel isolated if all their peers are taking their standardized tests while they have to do something else or worse will they possibly feel humiliated and demoralized because of the results. I definitely think my children would do fine, I think we would be happy with the results, but I want to make the right decision for my children and I have been researching both sides of this debate, there is no right or wrong answer, but through all of it, one thing is definitely in agreement, these tests lack validity and are not a true measure of learning. Everyone tends to agree that all these tests are not really good indicators of classroom performance, but we use them nonetheless.

I'm torn and unsure what to do, what is right. My children go to a Montessori school, but they are still required to do the state testing of basic skills, which I find ironic because here in a Montessori setting the teacher is using an authentic assessment almost on a daily basis by observing, recording, and documenting the work that not only my child does, but all of the children. When I first decided to send my children to this school, I looked at the test score comparisons for the surrounding schools and it did factor into our decision, but again, here we have standardize tests that more often than not show a bias towards certain demographic groups.

The other reason is these tests provide only a small glimpse of what my children are capable of during a specific time, on a specific day under a certain setting - it is not a true measure of their ability, but is the result of various conditions (did they eat a good breakfast, did they sleep well, are their incentives, feelings of anxiety, frustration, or stress) all of which can taint the results of these tests.

So, even after sharing all this, I'm still not any clearer as to whether or not opt out of these test or not. We spoke with both of our children tonight as I definitely wanted their input, both said they would like to take these tests, but is in their best interest since these types of tests promote a culture of lying, cheating within the school and fosters competition instead of cooperation?

I want my children to learn and develop at their own pace following the educational philosophy that has been set forth by their Montessori school, which looks at the child as a whole, why is that so much to ask?

"Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.”- Maria Montessori

“We cannot know the consequences of suppressing a child's spontaneity when he is just beginning to be active. We may even suffocate life itself. That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life.” - Maria Montessori