more than they are on the paper. Suggest that she look at the tops of the heads of her audience rather than at their faces.
It is doubtful that even being well prepared and practiced will eliminate all nervousness, but it should keep your daughter’s anxiety at a manageable level. Learning to express her ideas publicly is an essential skill necessary for success.
When scores indicate a deficiency, it is our job as educators to consider other assessments that either verify or disprove what the test result has shown. Should a genuine deficiency be identified, steps must be taken to re-teach those skills so that your children are attaining needed skills to continue academic progress.
Q:
This time of year it seems that my kids’ teachers are just “teaching to the test” in anticipation of spring standardized testing. I find it so frustrating. Can’t they just stop all the testing?
A:
Standardized testing has been part of public education for generations. It is in the headlines now more than ever as funding and teacher evaluation are tied to test results. That is a reality that we must accept as it does not seem likely to change any time soon. To put it in perspective, consider that the idea of “teaching to the test” is really teaching the state adopted standards. The tests are designed to allow students to demonstrate that they have mastered understanding of content and skills determined to be appropriate for their particular grade level. With that in mind, teaching the standards is mandatory.
>> Ask the Teacher is written by Deb Krupowicz, a mother of four and current teacher. Deb holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and has over twenty years of experience teaching preschool, elementary and middle school students. Please send your questions to her at asktheteacher@indyschild.com.
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