Difficult Task, Often Not Approached

¶ … difficult task, often not approached thoroughly by those who dictate curriculum. In many ways especially right after the implementation of the NCLB legislation at the beginning of the high stakes testing movement this link was ignored in favor of making certain through rote memorization exercises that students would be prepared for assessments. Yet, in the evolving classroom the error of this stop gap solution has been observed and most educators are demanding a better way to link instruction and assessment that does not support lack of creative thinking. In my educational setting the goal has not yet shifted and time is still being taken away to stress rote memorization in preparation for assessment, yet the teachers are fundamentally apposed and frustrated by this aspect of teaching. One strategy I have seen for linking instruction to assessment is to simply teach test preparation materials in a rote memorization fashion and in a format that is similar to the testing process, the goal being to prepare students for the test and the material on it. While I have seen in other sites creative ways of providing curriculum that teaches material that will be "on the test" through project work and creative group learning I have not experienced this in the field.

Teaching to the Test or to National and Industry Standards

Educators often seek templates for instruction that align with standards, utilizing testing materials from the past and that which is presumed through pre-testing and other sources to be found on current testing materials. The development of the accountability movement as well as the NCLB to some degree mandate the use of testing material as a guide for classroom instruction, as to some degree the high stakes tests performance demands a high level of achievement on such exams to determine funding as well as other issues for schools in the coming years. Though most teachers would report their desire to refrain from "teaching to the test" the demonstrative response to high stakes testing represents a standard that cannot be ignored. Many argue that "teaching to the test" limits assessment validity and more importantly limits curriculum decisions, making it nearly impossible for educators to provide creative learning experiences and curriculum alternatives that respond to varied learning styles and interests. Until such time as assessment standards change or are broadened to include varied assessment tools, including both qualitative and quantitative data it is unlikely that opportunities will arise for educators to wholly step away from the teaching to the test mentality. Some states have realigned their curricular programs to demonstrate assessment standards and curricular guides that allow exceptions and attempt to better meet the needs of a broader set of learners but many, especially in the early years of NCLB had no choice but to align standards to a national example, such as the early developments in Texas (Nelson, McGhee, Meno, & Slater, 2007).

California's NCLB Alignment

In California most of the content standards are closely aligned with the NCLB tests but demonstrate a broadening of the original intent of the legislation, especially with regard to English as a second language (ESL/ELL) learners due in large part to California's large population of Spanish first English language learners (Koelsch & National High School 2009).

Teacher/Educator Accountability

Teachers and educators should be held accountable for student learning as a process of demonstration that is far more holistic than it is at present. For example teachers/educators who excel at teaching remedial students should be exempt from some accountability standards and substandards by virtue of the fact that many of the students who begin their programs are beginning far below grade level and therefore have further to go to benchmark standards (Lingo, Barton-Arwood & Jolivette, 2011). Additionally, teachers who have always had good accountability records should not necessarily be penalized for failing to seek out further education, as the opportunities for doing so are limited, mainly by time. Overall accountability should be much more holistic including both qualitative and quantitative assessment information.

Administrators Evaluation of the Success of Assessment and Instruction?

Administrators and managers should have a large breadth of data to look at including both qualitative and quantitative materials, reviews, self-assessments, testing data and even live classroom or work examples that demonstrate as much of the whole picture as possible, rather than simply looking at the bottom line to make determinations about the effectiveness of instruction.

Measurement for Success

I am currently not working in any field but have been a high school teacher in the past. The experiences I have had as a high school teacher demonstrate that the trend toward seeking assessment and accountability on a business standard level has had a less than desired result in an educational setting but overall if non-traditional as well as traditional means are used to teach and evaluate progress, in a holistic manner the overall organization is likely to benefit without further alignment with education goals and standards and most importantly the educational environment (Achieve, 2011).

Qualitative Measures

Some examples of qualitative measures for accountability/assessment and curriculum alignment are classroom work, portfolio assessments, student reviews of material and teaching, classroom environment, demographic and life positions of students and of course teacher/educator reviews of materials and outcomes. Teachers need to feel empowered and therefore have some say in assessment results and processes, as classroom teachers are ultimately those who have the best view of the potential strengths and weaknesses of any curriculum model, especially those who have been teaching for extended periods of time (Srikantaiah, Zhang, Swayhoover & Center on Education, 2008). Though new teachers who are coming from theory to practice and might have a better chance of allowing themselves to "think outside the box" for solutions and responses to fulfilling the ultimate goal which is to teach children and insight in them a desire to learn, should also be an empowered group.