Standardized Assessments

When done correctly a developmental assessment can be crucial to identifying a child's growths and areas for improvement. However, in schools today standardized tests are focused on the common subject areas (i.e. math, social studies, language arts). We as early childhood educators know that in order to truly assess a child's development and progress you must look at the whole child. For example you cannot test a child's language development by asking question after question, you need to be able to observe that child at play with peers, in group settings, in one on one scenarios. It is not as simple as yes or no or circling the right answer.

In Mexico, they too conduct similar standardized tests in schools that we do here in the United States. In fact they have adopted the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) that was created in the United States in 2003, and other standardized tests that the U.S. has used as well. These tests focus again on the basics of public education and do not focus on the whole child development.

One thing that really makes me wonder about is, that our schools are measured based upon the results of the standardized tests (in Mexico too), so in order for the public schools to receive a high ranking or "A+" achievement they must have high scores from these tests. Therefore, our children spend their school days essentially just preparing for the 'big test' instead of preparing for life or learning new concepts in their own unique and individual ways.

I know I would much rather have my children be prepared for the real world rather than the 'big test' that clouds over their educational journey.

Reference:

Escobido, P., Esquivel-Ancona, F. & Hollingworth, L. (April 2016). Intellectual assessment of children and youth in Mexico: Past, present, and future. Retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21683603.2016.1163745