It's that time of year for standardized testing

My goal, as a teacher, is to help students see learning as an adventure- something to work on for the rest of their lives. I went into teaching saying that I would NEVER teach to a test. Yet, here it is a week before TCAP and I am running review games, practicing TCAP questions, and I've created a RLA TCAP review sheet. Why am I teaching to a state standardized test? Because it’s required and if I didn't I wouldn't survive. It's hard for me to swallow the fact that my students and my success are judged on a 4 day test. We've done so much this year, grown so much this year, but it all comes down to 448 minutes of testing next week.

At our school, TCAP hangs over us at all times. It's mentioned at every staff and grade level meeting. I collect weekly data on TCAP- like assessments to gauge how my students are doing. I cheer when at least 50% of them pass my weekly assessment. We have TCAP chants, raps, and songs. This week is TCAP spirit week. Our entire focus is on TCAP. Why? Because we've been labeled a striving school, a nice way of saying you've failed to meet AYP (annual yearly progress).  I used to think that schools that didn't meet AYP were just bad schools, that they weren't trying and/or teaching. Now, I've come to realize that each school has its own story.

At this school, we have so many things against us. When they started tracking AYP our school was already behind; now, as the benchmark goes up each year, we've had no chance to catch up. Most of our kindergartners come in two years behind. Most of our students receive free breakfast and lunch. Most of my 8 and 9 year old students deal with things that at 26 I have never had to experience.

Each year we improve, which is the only thing keeping us a float. But, with the benchmark increasing each year, we seem to be forever stuck in the category of failing/not making it.  Last year, the goal was that 49% of my students would score proficient or advanced on the reading and language arts TCAP...this year it has jumped to 66%. We were just under the 49% goal last year; how do they expect us to now be at 66%? We're told, as teachers, to differentiate and that what is good for one student isn't good for another. To teach students at their academic level  so they can feel success. Yet, when it comes to schools, we're treated as if each school, each situation is the same. There is no differentiating when it comes to schools. Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't expect schools to eventually reach a goal of 100% of students attaining proficient or advanced. We should have high standards, but each school needs a chance to feel success, to get a foot hold on the climb to that goal.

OK I'm stepping off my soap box now. :-)