Mum and elementary school teacher, Christina Herr, accepts that testing is an essential part of education.
However, testing is never a full picture of the student, their abilities or character:
"A number on a colour-coded chart only tells you so much, and I think it’s important for us all to look beyond the data," she wrote in Love What Matters.
A student of hers, Valeria, is below average in nearly all of her tests.
"The test scores don’t represent the fact that she and her family just moved to the states less than a year ago and she speaks very limited English," Herr explains. "The data doesn't show that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up, and that she does read pretty well, but in her native language."
In fact, after the last round of tests she took she wrote a note to her mother in Spanish, saying "Dear Mum, today at school, I took a test. I do not know if I passed."
"The data doesn't show that she works so hard every day and that she has been raising her hand more and more to contribute aloud, especially in math. And it obviously doesn't show her incredible artistic talent. There’s just so much we don’t see."
This includes Valeria's incredible artistic ability.
"It’s in the job description. We give tests. I get it, I get it, I really do. They have their place. But when I look at Valeria’s drawing, I can’t stop thinking about how important it is to remember that our students are so much more than a numerical snapshot. They have talents and capabilities and passions that go far beyond scaled scores and percentile rankings."
And her drawing is fantastic! Definitely a fashion designer in the making.
Herr encourages parents and educators to look past the scores and take in the student's unique set of challenges and capabilities.
"They have unique experiences and challenges and obstacles that they bring to the table. And students like Valeria, well they also have a lot of grit and determination and a work-ethic that positively shines. I just want to challenge us all — parents, educational professionals, and students too — to remember that our nation’s students are much more than just a score.”
With so much emphasis placed on test sources on our education system, it's a timely reminder that each child is more than a grade on a piece of paper.
