Neither do they. And yet, today they are being handed a piece of paper with their results. From that test. 6 months ago. For my 6th graders, they had to wait for 5% of their life to pass to get their results.
This morning I found the results in my mailbox and gave them out. I felt so bad handing the scores to some of my students. I had some impromptu "data chats" with my students below the 50th percentile. I kept finding myself repeating the phrase, "Although, maybe you have learned this concept now. This was 6 months ago." This test doesn't show where they are now. Still, they see it as a reflection of who they are.
After getting their scores that they couldn't quite understand, I could visibly see some students puff up in confidence or crumble in disappointment. Those numbers can really shape their self-image. Without the context of the test, they don't make sense. Students don't even remember what the test was about. And I surely can't tell them because I'm not allowed to look at it.
Our nation spends $1.7 billion annually on standardized tests and what is the point? What is the result? Hours and hours spent assessing students, only to find out how they did 6 months later.
Only to find their results left behind on the floor of our classroom.
