Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Does this count?

This week, students in Philadelphia are taking the quarterly "Benchmark" tests to monitor their progress and learning up to this point in the school year. These tests serve as indicators as to how well the students should score overall on the state tests, and they also provide data regarding what concepts and topics need to be reviewed and which have been understood. They take benchmarks in English, Math and Science.

The students whine and complain about these tests, and most don't give their best effort. Yesterday I heard the typical, "I'm just gonna put anything..." and "Give me my paper, I'll just fill in the bubbles". I also heard the more colorful, "Man, I hate this reading shit. All these damn words dawg." Most students finish way too quickly, indicating that they did not actually read the stories, but just rushed through the 20 questions. That's right, it is only 20 questions, about 4 separate 1 page stories (for the English test). But to most of the students in my English classes, reading through a full page of text that is written at their grade level is a monumental task.

Before starting the test, students argue about it's worth, and state that it doesn't matter how they do on them anyway. I repeatedly hear, "Does it count?" If the students don't see an immediate possibility for a reward/consequence for themselves, they just can't understand the value of giving their best effort.

Myself and another teacher in the class proceded to explain why they should actually try to do their best work. We explained that these scores are used in determining course placement for the students, and that the school overall will be judged on the scores. This particular school is one that has been failing for years, and is being taken over by a charter next year. We pointed out to the students that results on tests like this have helped the district make that decision. Still...this has no impact on the students. One says, "Well, I'll just go somewhere else next year anyway." They never want to take ownership of the conditions of their school. It's kind of like how people say, "Why should I vote? My one vote doesn't count." These students don't see how them making an effort on one day's test is going to help their school. They just can't see the bigger picture.

Now, I'm not the biggest proponent of the heavily testing based curriculum that is in place, but nonetheless, days like these are frustrating. Many of our children just don't see the point in proving their intelligence.  They seem to think they are being asked to perform in order to help the school, or to help the teacher. They can never seem to grasp that it's their own learning that is being measured.  Over and over my days are filled with times where I feel like I care more about my students' education than they do. I try to convince them that things are important. I try to challenge them, and ask, "What's the harm in doing your best?" and "Why not try to think through this? You're here in class anyway, just make an effort!". A few will try, but most are just trying to get through the next 42 minutes until the bell signals them to go get their 4 minutes of acting up in the hallways.

Sadly, it ends up being their own education that they think doesn't "count" for anything.

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