Schools across the state have transitioned the focus of their curricula to FCAT topics. I do not fault schools, given the ramifications of test scores on public perception and teachers’ evaluations; see Senate Bill 736. I do, however, question the quality of the assessments.
These concerns originate from my time as a mathematics educator and assessment specialist for Educational Testing Service, where I worked on the development of the SAT, GRE and AP Statistics. My concerns are intensified by the influence assessments have on what children believe it means to do mathematics.
Educators do not object to having student achievement measured. A misalignment between what FCAT measures and what is valued mathematically creates a dysfunctional culture with the dilemma of “teaching for understanding” versus “teaching to the test.” Proponents of FCAT would argue educators should not “teach to the test,” but the nature of the questions says otherwise.
There are several examples from the Florida Department of Education website to highlight my concerns. The examples that motivated this piece are from third-, fourth- and fifth-grade math.
Analysis of all FCAT sample questions revealed that 20 percent of questions ask students to match equations to problem contexts. This method of assessment discourages creative problem solving and forces students to think as the person who created the test. There are also questions that intentionally try to trick students by presenting tables that change sequencing in the middle of a table. This is bad practice in both assessment and statistics. Other example questions require students to catch subtle things in the text (e.g., “to and from work” and “round trip”) or else they will be led into selecting the wrong option. Students may successfully navigate the mathematics in the problem but end up getting the wrong answer for reasons related to reading. One could argue they should just read the question carefully. Is it then still a test of mathematics?
Education is the one field many think they are experts at because they were once students. Anyone who believes being a classroom teacher is easy because of June, July and August should spend one week being held responsible for educating all students.
How would you feel being evaluated in your profession the same way teachers are evaluated? How would you feel if your evaluations were made public? Imagine the scrutiny we subject our teachers to, and then imagine receiving the same salary as a teacher.
Please take the time to thank teachers for all they do because the system does not make it easy for them to succeed. It’s time we change how we evaluate education and begin to appreciate our teachers for all they do.
If this article moves you, please contact Commissioner Pam Stewart at Commissioner@fldoe.org and Gov. Rick Scott at flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor.
A question you may want to ask is, “What assessment and learning experts from our universities were involved in the $220 million decision to have AIR develop the state’s assessments?”
[Tim Jacobbe is a UF associate professor of mathematics and statistics. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 3/19/2014 under the headline "It’s time to change how we evaluate students"]
