By Marie LeJeune and Tracy L.Smiles
First grade was visited by a woman from the principal’s office carrying a big pile of papers with little boxes all over them. She explained, “We have some tests for you.” Their teacher explained how to do the test, advising them to work quickly and not to worry. Upon reading the first question,
Rabbits eat:
☐ lettuce
☐ dog food
☐ sandwiches
First grader George raised his hand. “Rabbits have to eat carrots, or their teeth will get too long and stick into them. The teacher nods, smiles, and puts her finger to her lips. George carefully draws a carrot so the test people will know (Cohen, 1980).
Our original intent for our blog posts this month was to highlight books that show children taking social action, but as we explored frameworks around activism, and reflected on stories, both real and imagined, within this body of children’s literature we found ourselves turning these lenses inward, and asking, “What kind of unjust systems do we participate in, and how can we actively resist such systems?” We then decided begin our blog posts with our own experiences with high stakes tests and our decision to opt out.
Simon & Norton (2011) have identified a framework for selecting classroom texts that feature the theme of activism, which includes three main considerations: a) how does the text feature the theme of collaboration, as stories of ‘lone heroes’ are often false and not in the spirit of how activist movements are successful; b) how do such stories show the benefits of activism to a greater community, as true activism is meant to improve the lives and experiences of many; and c) how is praxis or action highlighted? What do people in the text actively do to influence change?
After considering this framework and our original intention of discussing texts for children that highlight activism, we also realized that this framework fits our current state-of-mind and struggle for activism; we truly believe that our actions and participation in the ‘opt out movement’ is a form of both personal and professional activism. This month our blog entries will discuss these considerations—how are we reaching out to others and what resources are we finding useful as we collaborate in this opt-out movement; how do we believe that opting out benefits the educational community within which we live, work, and send our children to school; and finally, what sorts of action can we and others engage in toward making assessment equitable and educational for children and teachers?
Activism often has ‘inciting incidents.’ Although we both philosophically and professionally have strong opinions on standardized testing, it would be false to say that the professional has not become personal as we work not only as teacher educators, but as mothers of children in public schools.
Recently Tracy’s son came home from middle school complaining he’d had an abnormally challenging day. Tracy’s son has a learning disability and is on an I.E.P. in order to receive support with his studies. In particular, the language demands of the math curriculum and accompanying assessments have been a source of frustration. Last year, when his state test scores arrived in the mail, he cried upon learning he had not made the benchmark in math, explaining to his mom, “It just makes me feel really stupid.” On this day, Tracy’s son explained he’d been given a test in his math class he didn’t understand, and as a result got very upset and had to leave the classroom in order to process through this intense anxiety. For Tracy, this situation was an anomaly. Tracy’s son has a marvelous math teacher who masterfully scaffolds instruction for all her students. Tracy and her husband wondered what they’d missed that we weren’t able to help him study for this test that overwhelmed him. Upon further interrogation Tracy learned the stressful episode was not the result of the regular classroom routine, but rather practice with the state’s new high stakes test, Smarter Balanced Assessment.
Marie’s seven-year-old son will not face the Smarter Balanced Assessment until next year, but like Tracy’s son, is already is describing ‘text anxiety’ on days that district benchmark tests are given. When Marie asked him one day about how school had been, he commented, “Today was a great day. We didn’t have to take any tests!” And again like Tracy, Marie’s son has an excellent teacher who knows her son well and who has offered appropriate interventions to calm his anxiety over large assessments and tests, yet Marie also knows that such teacher interventions and differentiation will likely be prohibited on Smarter Balanced Assessments. Marie also has two junior high aged sons who she is in the process of pursuing the right to opt out with her local district.
These small examples are not the primary narrative behind our support of the opt out movement, but they do remind us how our children express their attitudes towards such tests, and we know from working and talking with other parents and teachers that many, many children feel similarly about large scale testing. We also know that assessment is a necessary and integral part of successful classroom instruction, yet the teachers we work with in our home state have already been told that none of the data from such tests will be available to them this school year, thus negating the ability for them to target and differentiate instruction for the students in their classrooms.
In the book, First Grade Takes the Test (Cohen, 1980) we began this post with, their teacher assertively explains to the first graders whose confidence is shaken by the test, “The test doesn’t tell all the things you can do! You can build things! You can read books! You can make pictures! You have good ideas! And another thing. The test doesn’t tell you if you are a kind person who helps your friend. Those are important things.” Unfortunately for so many students today, the opposite message has been internalized and reinforced, — the test is the official measure of their intelligence, ability to learn, and potential to succeed.
As we begin to consider what our own activism and the activism of others within the opt-out movement, we realized we finished this beginning post on March 2, which, as many teachers know, is Read Across America Day (or as Marie’s son loudly announced this morning, “Dr. Seuss day.”) Thus, we end with the esteemed words of a favorite author (and esteemed activist, The Lorax), “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Journey through Worlds of Words during our open reading hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To view our complete offerings of WOW Currents, please visit archival stream.
- Themes: Marie LeJeune, Tracy Smiles
- Descriptors: Debates & Trends, WOW Currents