How Young Is Too Young?

With Stanford 10(the state test for first and second graders in Baltimore City) right around the corner I found myself in a grade level meeting today panicking about the test that will begin Monday the 9th. The administration was asking me and the other first and second grade teachers if we and our students were ready. “I sure hope so,” I replied. Six pairs of eyes stared at me and I couldn’t help but feel frustrated and annoyed that so much pressure is placed on our students to perform well. My students are six and seven years old! That is too young to be tested.

There are so many outside factors that affect our students’ scores. On a practice Stanford 10 my class took last week I had one of my brightest girls miss an entire section of reading questions because she came to school upset about a fight she had got into with her grandmother that morning. Because of this she refused to try and left several questions blank and randomly answered the rest. Her test, along with any other student having a bad day, is not true reflection of what they know but a reflection of how difficult their home lives are.

At our meeting this week we discussed the concept that many of our students are passing the first grade but are bombing the city benchmarks. I am more concerned with how my students are doing in first grade with first grade curriculum than whether they can decode the very difficult Stanford 10. There are so many more important life skills and concepts I want my students to grasp. Instead we have been cramming for the test.

We’ve planned a parent meeting last minute to discuss making sure your child is prepared on test day, sent home extra homework packets focusing on test prep, planned parties for post-Stanford 10 in an effort to motivate students to try their best and almost anything else to prepare our students. While I think we are as ready as we can be, why do I still feel like our scores may be outside of our control? And at this point I find myself saying I really can’t worry about it anymore. The test is Monday. My students are what they are. The test is what it is. I just wish my students could be valued for more than being basic, proficient or advanced.