It's that time again! The time when end-of-year-testing takes place in classrooms across the world. Testing can be a tricky subject, with heated arguments from all sides. After the No Child Left Behind Act was initiated in 2002, all 50 states were mandated to use standardized testing- but testing has been around way before that. Standardized tests have been part of North American education since the early 1800's. So what's the problem with standardized testing, anyway? According to Britannica’s procon.org, there are several big issues:
1. Standardized tests only determine which students are good at taking tests. (Many students who are proficient in math have test anxiety and can completely bomb a test containing material they actually understand.)
2. Teachers feel that standardized tests are "unfair metrics for evaluation". (If a teacher is getting evaluated by how many students pass a test, then what happens to the teacher who has a class with 50% regular education students and 50% special education students?)
3. Standardized tests only cover the basics. (What about testing in artistic ability? What about testing in critical thinking or problem solving? Music? Creativity? Getting high scores on a standardized test doesn't always equate to a successful student.)
Is there a right way to do testing?
The good news is there is a testing program that does just that. It comes from the educators at Mathnasium of McCandless. We call it our comprehensive assessment and it's offered to each and every student who enrolls with us.
Our comprehensive assessment is the first step in the Mathnasium Method. The Mathnasium Method was created by a team of education experts and headed by Lawrence Martinek, the founder of Mathnasium. Our specialized math tutors need to understand where the student's comprehension begins and ends. After taking the assessment, our tutors can ascertain where a student needs support, and where they are already successful. This ensures that there is no time wasted covering subjects that don't need attention.
When done right, testing is a phenomenal tool for discerning progress and uncovering understanding gaps.
One parent noted, "Mathnasium of McCandless is SO well-run. They employ qualified instructors and are very detailed in planning my child's instruction." -B.G.
"Mathnasium has helped my 5th grader by boosting her confidence and filling in her math gaps". -J.L.
Come try Mathnasium of McCandless today!
