Last post for now on testing. I hope I haven’t lost readers over the past few days.
First, I want to clarify. I do think there is a time and place for testing and assessment. It does give teachers and parents important information about the child and their learning. It can also provide teachers information about their effectiveness. Most (if not all) teachers do not want to “overtest” students.
An argument can be made for our school (Wake Gifted Academy) purposes, we use assessment data gathered for admissions purposes. Yes we do, but it is information gathered about the learner to best understand if we can provide the best education environment for the child. I like this quote from Carolyn K of Hoagies Gifted Education page about testing:
Why Test?
The answer to the question “Why Test?” is the same for the gifted child as for any other child: you should test to answer a question. Tests can provide detailed information about the child’s learning needs to parents and teachers, including gifted identification for educational planning and gifted program participation. Tests can also offer information for early intervention of learning differences, and to facilitate an appropriate education. And you should test when you need the answer to any of these questions.
Wake Academy 