These days, in some school districts both teachers and administrators are being evaluated to some extent based on student performance on standardized tests, and their jobs may depend on how well their students perform. Back in the day, with less diversity, there would have been only a few problems using students’ scores on standardized tests as a significant part of a teachers’ evaluation. However, in some areas student populations have dramatically changed in a variety of ways.
When I first came to the Kent school District (KSD) as a teacher in 1977 much of the valley was still farmlands; nearly 90 percent of the student population was white and Christian; most of my five classes at the high school didn’t have a single student of color in them; English language learners were rarely ever in my classrooms; and the words “cultural competence” were nowhere in sight. However, looking back, it didn’t take very long for the demographics to change.
The KSD students are now mostly students of color; speak over 120 different languages; have numerous religious beliefs; have a majority of students on free and reduced lunch, indicating increased poverty; and has as much total diversity as any school district in the state. And, we are greatly enriched by the increased diversity.
About the only thing that has not kept pace with the rapid changes and the workload are teachers’ salaries, and the support teachers need to be more effective with the influx of diverse groups.
It is naïve or perhaps ignorant to believe that all students are the same and teachers can be colorblind when teaching students.
Imagine yourself teaching a class with six English language learners; five special education students; two
students with behavior disorders; three ADD (attention deficit disorder) students; five high achieving students; five average students; five low achieving students; four other students who came in at the middle of the quarter; and 55 minutes later that group leaves and in walks another 35 with similar characteristics; and that happens 5 times a day.
Then, before the semester is over half of the students you had at the beginning of the year have been replaced by an entirely different group with similar characteristics. And, many of the new students to your class have to take the standardized tests before you can help them prepare for success. Tell me now that it’s OK to evaluate you on how well the students do in the spring when they take the test.
Student issues that affect learning
Issues that affect learning in the classroom include students experiencing the stages of human development, e.g., early childhood, later childhood, adolescence. At each stage of development students have specific kinds of challenges that at any given moment may be more important to them than passing the test. Add other factors in the human environment, such as harassment, divorce, death in the family, domestic violence, homelessness, injury, hunger, malnutrition, and a myriad of other issues that affect human conduct and academic performance at any given moment.
The teachers with whom I came into contact as I traveled the district teaching cultural competence and other classes were some of the most compassionate people on the planet. And frankly, it bothers me when I hear someone say our teachers don’t care about poor white students, students of color, or students with issues.
Whereas many teachers were successful at teaching to the middle and making adaptations for the few back in the day, now successful teachers have to do much more adapting to a multitude of individual student needs, not including cultural diversity. Now add a myriad of cultural diversity and increased student issues to which a teacher is asked to adapt their lessons to fit individual student needs. Throw in minuscule addition support for teachers. In some districts, all of this in a hypersensitive, activist environment demanding better test results; placing the burden largely on teachers and administrators to get better results or suffer the consequences.
One has to ask, why isn’t more attention given to the role of parents for better education results,
especially in view of the long standing body of research that says what students do at home and family support of their students’ education are strong indicators of how well a student will perform in school?
Most teachers can help students achieve at higher levels. However, in general teachers need more resources and support; adequate family and community support for student learning; and more flexibility in how schools are structured to deliver education. Raise your hand if you want your paycheck tied to student performance on tests, without adequate support.
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