Why I Threw Away the Standardized Tests
/I've been cleaning. I retired in June and I've been cleaning ever since. I am making up for YEARS of pushing everything aside and saying, "Oh, I'll deal with that in the spring,(or fall, or the next decade)." Somehow, during my children's high school years, I was able to keep up with completing scrapbooks of their school years. The years prior to that lay dormant in various drawers, boxes, and closets. As I tidied up (shoveled out) the rooms that had been so gravely neglected during those last two decades every grade school memory I found for either of my kids, was placed in a large box in my closet.
One bitter cold, dreary week in January, I was so stiff and sore from sitting all waking hours of the week in my comfy chair that I vowed to move around and do something. After my granddaughter received her report card and a slight amount of grief from her mother, I decided to look at my daughter's old report cards and see how they compared. The report cards were in the box. As I sorted the papers in the box into two piles, son's and daughter's, I was lost in the memories of having two young children. Although it is a cliché I can't believe the time went so fast. There was a teddy bear covered with coffee that looked like fur. There were sentences written in beautiful primary script. There were valentines to mommy and daddy that made my heart sing and my eyes tear up. I am so glad that I saved them. There were certificates for excellent reading and most improved worker. There were report cards with As and Bs and an occasional C. There were reminders of good conduct and good times. There were pictures drawn of me with bird nests on my head. I am so glad I saved them.
Then there were the reports from the standardized tests. Now, with my oldest, these were not emphasized at school as much as they were with my youngest. From the fourth grade on however, they stirred feelings of insecurity in my son. You see, both of my children were blessed with best friends that were very intelligent. I am talking gifted program and NEVER studying type of smart. They were the 99% on the standardized tests kind of smart. You know, where they scored better than 99% of the kids all over the United States that took the test. Now don't get my wrong, my kids scored average or above on those tests, but when your best friend is in the 99th percentile in everything average doesn't seem real good.
I looked at those reports and I looked at the pile of colored pictures and certificates that I was sliding inside of plastic sleeves to place in a binder. I decided that I never wanted those kids to look through those reports and think they were stuck at "average". Because you see, although the reports classified them as average, they have never been. Test scores did not predict their drive or as one teacher said their "schmooze". You see both of my children have work ethic. They show up and work hard. They have people skills. They get along with their peers and respect their authority figures. They have morals. They have earned the admiration of those they worked for. They find a way to complete the job whether it is helping a child no one else want to be around, or standing in the rain holding a traffic sign while the coworkers sit in a truck and laugh at them, they finish the job. And I am so proud of them.
I looked at the average reports I received for my phenomenal children and I threw all of those reports away. I am glad I did.