Last week, students in UPSD, and around the state, began the spring season of standardized testing. It’ll last through mid-May, though each student will not be testing on each of those days. For most students, they sit for a test for 2 or 3 days. Some may have 4 days. My own 3rd grader took the 3rd grade reading assessment on April 18. She was ultra-prepared, thanks to her awesome teacher. Students are required to pass this test to advance past 3rd grade. It can be a stressful time for some students and staff.
At face value, I am not opposed to standardized assessment. I think they can be a good measuring tool for how students are progressing on the curriculum. They give teachers good and objective information on where students need to focus their efforts and improve learning. Administrators can determine where resources and attention need to be directed and where disparities exist among sub-groups. Finally, parents can gain insight on how to support children’s academic success at home.
What I think we must be careful of is spending more time weighing the proverbial hog than feeding it. We must maintain a balance between assessing what students have learned and actually helping them learn it. In my opinion, we ought to be heavy on the “helping them learn it” part. There are a lot of really important things that happen at school that never show up in numbers on a state test. Relationships and a sense of belonging are crucial. Learning how to treat others and get along with people is another vital aspect. I love to see how students and staff encourage each other every day.
There are aspects of Mississippi’s current accountability model that are good and bad. I suppose that is true of all accountability models. At Union, we do want to perform well on the accountability model, but we have really pushed to transcend that and focus on an approach that really evaluates what’s best for kids. The current model places a heavy focus on growth and much less of an emphasis on grade level proficiency. It’s our belief that proficiency at each grade level sets students up for success in nearly every future endeavor rather than focusing on growth alone. In fact, focusing on growth too much, in my opinion, can easily lead to the idea of weighing the hog too often, as mentioned earlier. Greater academic achievement for all students depends on parental and student engagement, a guaranteed and viable curriculum taught with fidelity, support for those who need it, enrichment for those who deserve it, teacher efficacy, strategies for collective inquiry among teachers, and a commitment to creativity.
So yes, it’s testing season. Yes, I expect Union students and teachers to perform well again. But we’ve spent a lot less time weighing the hog and more time feeding it this year. We’ve committed to proficiency and doing what’s best for our students and their long-term futures. I expect grade level proficiency, ACT, and career readiness measures to be at, or near, all-time highs. I don’t know how that will translate onto the accountability model, but honestly, I’m not too concerned. If I have to choose what’s best for kids over running up accountability numbers, I’ll choose kids every time, even if it costs us points or a letter grade.
The Union Public School District has served this community well for many years. All the building blocks are in place for a solid foundation that supports academic achievement, and our schools have made incredible progress. We will continue pushing for Union to be the best it can be. We’re proud to accept all students regardless of their socioeconomic condition or learning need, and we work to create a brighter future for each student. The dedicated educators and students of UPSD will strive for greater academic achievement, but we will always recognize our schools and our students are so much more than a letter grade or a test score. Go Jackets!
Dr. Tyler Hansford is completing his 5th year as superintendent of the Union Public School District. He can be reached at hansfordt@unionyellowjackets.org.
