SAT reading scores are at their lowest in forty years.  In our state, standardized tests were first reported to be so low that more schools did not meet minimum standards set by the Department of Education than those that did.  A few weeks after that report was released we were told things weren’t that dire; whoever wrote the report reversed the math and reading scores.  In fact, there were just as many schools that met the standards as there were those that did not. 

If it only stopped there.  Another few weeks had gone by and then there was a cheating scandal that broke out.  Apparently teachers were taking tests for students who did not show up in an effort to raise the average.  We’re not certain which is more pathetic – that the teachers only raised the odds to 50/50 to meet standards or that teachers could only raise the average to 50%.

The general feeling is that high schoolers don’t want to, or don’t feel they have to take tests.  But once beyond high school, once into the realm of those going to school because they want to rather than have to, once dealing with people who have an investment in their education and in their futures, disappointing results will be rare.  She of We works with a woman whose father, now into his eighties, still teaches conversational French to the residents at the care facility where he is also a resident.  He often commented that he would have preferred to teach at college where the students wanted to learn rather than at high school where the students wanted to meet their minimum requirements so they could play football. 

The disappointing results are not restricted to high schools.   Just this week there was a report that several local schools of nursing are in jeopardy because less than 80% of their graduates, the minimum required to maintain the school’s certification, could pass the nursing licensure exam. 

While all this is going on, money is pouring into the schools.  Even with the recent cuts to education seen across America there are billions being passed through from the federal government.  Over $160 billion has been spent by the federal government on K-12 education over the past 45 years.  That averages over $3.5 billion per year.  Last year Washington sent $25 billion to school.

And yet even at this amount of plus what the states and local districts put into their own education we are not educating.  Are the tests to blame?  Are we really turning out Einsteins at record paces but nobody knows because the kids can’t take standardized tests.  Who hasn’t, or hadn’t, heard someone say “I know the material, I just can’t take tests.”  You never hear someone who scored well on his or her SAT say, “I don’t know jack but I know how to pick from a list of multiple choices.” 

No, we’re certain that if you know the material you know the material no matter how somebody asks you the questions.  It’s time those who are teaching do.  If there are cuts to be made let’s eliminate some of the administrative staff.  Do we need three assistant principals, two secretaries for each, and a prefect of discipline at the elementary K-3 building?  Don’t cut the education programs.  We need arts as well as sciences.  We needed PE as much as we need Math.  And maybe a class or two on how to take tests.  Life is full of them.

Besides, if we had to come up with a different way of measuring competency than through testing, we could end up grading student nurses on, well, on nursing.  Stick out your tongue and say cheese.

Now, that’s what we think.  Really.  How ‘bout you?