A Blatant Misconception

Fear or Respect?

Third grade was an interesting year in that my circle of friends began to expand and I was able to participate in more independent activities. It was my first experience with organized sports, playing baseball the previous summer and basketball in the winter. I was walking up the street, or even to different neighborhoods, to play with friends. Mom no longer arranged play time and I was allowed to spend the night on Fridays.

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Mrs. Horn was another in a line of compliance officers that I had through

most of elementary school.

My third grade teacher, Mrs. Horn, was another in a line of compliance officers that I had through most of elementary school. She chewed on her tongue and seemed to glare at us throughout the day. I don’t recall disliking her but knew not to cross her. Most of the boys in her class had a similar regard for her firm stance. I don’t recall being sent to the office that year. I only had women teachers then and typically responded best with those I perceived as nice. Mrs. Horn’s intimidating countenance made her the exception to that rule.

Third grade was simply another year to matriculate. The routine of school, morning assignments, morning recess, lunch, afternoon assignments, and afternoon recess, fit well into my afterschool routines with play in the woods around the house and reruns before dinner. At this stage I do recall looking forward to older grades, even junior high school. I recall having conversations with older kids in carpool where they brought home textbooks for homework. It was a rite of passage to get homework in fourth grade. I looked forward to it.

Ignoring What the Data Really Tells Us

Conventional wisdom among educators since the beginning of the Standards Movement in the 1990s was that third grade was critical for students to develop a legacy of success. The argument went that if students weren’t reading at grade level by third grade, they would be more likely to drop out in high school.

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The data that many politicians and educators ignore is that retaining students

increases the likelihood of dropping out.

13 states and the District of Columbia have determined that third graders would not move to fourth grade if they failed their reading tests at the end of the year. The data that many politicians and educators ignored was that retaining students increased the likelihood of dropping out. (www.ecs.org/early-grade-literacy-is-third-grade-retention-effective/)

A Manufactured Crisis

The tension created with this manufactured urgency had a profound negative impact on students. Third grade was typically the first-year students faced end of year tests requiring them to navigate a series of “blind” reading passages, not reading based on prior knowledge. Instruction throughout the year focused on having students navigate such reading every day. Test taking strategies became the instructional priority. The mistaken assumption was that third graders would be motivated out of a fear of retention.

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As data showed struggling among third graders, the common remedy was

simply to begin similar district tests as early as kindergarten.

When I was in North Carolina, the reading portion of the test, grades 3 through 8, included ten separate passages and as students matriculated the math problems included more word problems. These tests made the classroom environment very stressful for the students and teachers. Too many third graders lacked the stamina needed for 10 passages. Test anxiety became a significant problem. As data showed struggling among third graders, the common remedy was simply to begin similar district tests as early as kindergarten. The thinking was that third graders would then be better prepared and less anxious when in fact the opposite was true.

We Get What We Expect

The intensity just grew, particularly for students who struggled with these tests. More time was spent reading text that had no real context to student experience with little focus on inquiry. Math was taught in word problems based on the theory that this would improve problem solving skills. There is no evidence that any of these initiatives worked. Test scores over the past three decades have remained stagnant.

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The desire to learn is driven by motivation to inquire.

The desire to learn is driven by motivation to inquire. What we have discovered with testing is that it has simply reinforced a sense of expected success or failure rather than a pathway to improved performance. The test results only motivated if the student did well. The results of these tests have revealed that at best they predict stulted progress while discouraging intellectual inquiry.

What Teachers Need

Prior to the 1990s, standardized tests were diagnostic, not determinative. They were used to identify student deficits and to prescribe strategies for improvement. At a time when 8 year olds should be encouraged to explore independently, high stakes tests focus on failure rather than opportunity. These tests have had no meaningful impact on a third graders academic outlook. Standardized tests should be a tool for teachers not a shaming device.

© Paul A Bonner