Standardized Tests Are Valuable ToolsJanuary 20, 2017
Like a regular health check-up, high-quality student assessments are an “indispensable tool” for parents and educators, writes Beth Maloney, the 2014 Arizona Teacher of the Year. Teachers use assessment results as one measure of student growth, and scores help parents to work with their schools to provide support when and where their kids need it. “It’s not tests that make students learn; it’s the high standards aligned to those tests, and the teachers who create engaging learning experiences based on those standards,” Maloney adds. More rigorous standards actually create greater flexibility for teachers, and evidence indicates they are working to improve student outcomes.