¶ … high-stakes testing in Texas. Specifically it will discuss why this type of testing is too high pressure and stressful to really create better learning in the school systems.
Because teachers are under pressure to be accountable for a child's learning, high-stakes testing is being used throughout the Texas school system. However, high-stakes testing is a stressful way to educate. Students know they have to pass the tests to move on to the next grade, so there is a lot of pressure on them to pass the tests. Teachers know that if too many of their students fail, they could fail, as well, and lose their jobs. Since this involves their reputations, many teachers "teach to the tests," rather than really working to educate their students in a more traditional manner. This means the children are not really learning, they are simply learning what they need to know to pass the test, and that is not really learning at all.
Because children know they can be left behind if they do not pass the tests, it creates a very stressful environment in the classroom. That is not conducive to learning. Students need to feel safe and comfortable to learn effectively, and if they fear they will be left behind, they may study more, but they may be much more stressed, too. Tests are always stressful for students, but high-stakes testing is too stringent, and the results are too negative to ensure good results. Students will not really learn, they will simply memorize facts to pass the test, and that will become a pattern every year. It could even create a negative view of education in the child's mind, and that could lead to a lifelong aversion to learning.
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