Test Scores Are Important But I Wish Fordham Would Have Looked at What Else Matters to Parents and Community Members

Some Background

1. First, and most importantly, shouldn’t they recognize that the public wisely cares about much more than a school’s “value added” on standardized tests? The 2016 PDK Education Survey, for example, found that more than 75 percent of the public rated several things as “extremely/very important for schools,” including “developing good work habits, providing factual information, enhancing critical thinking, preparing (students) to be good citizens and preparing students to work well in groups.”

   These are also the skills that America’s employers are seeking in recent college graduates, according to a 2016 study. More than 80 percent said they look for “evidence of leadership skills on the candidate's resume, and nearly as many seek out indications that the candidate is able to work in a team. Employers also cited written communication skills, problem-solving skills, verbal communication skills, and a strong work ethic as important candidate attributes.”

2. Second, what are the best measures to predict success as an adult? One of the most powerful studies I’ve read in my 45-year career was published by ACT. Their researchers asked which of four factors best predicted success as an adult: high grades in high school, high grades in college, high scores on their test, and participation in debate, speech, drama and student government.

ACT  found that participation in those extracurriculars best predicted success in adulthood as they defined it.  Part of a secondary school’s evaluation should therefore be the percentage of students involved in these programs.

3. Third, given that schools in a democratic society are not just places to prepare students for work, don’t we want young people to graduate schools with the tools and attitudes needed to be active citizens.

A recent Education Commission of the States (ECS) report, Mapping Opportunities for Civic Education, describes many benefits for preparing students, “not just for college and career, but also for citizenship and full participation in democratic life.” ECS documents that well developed engagement and service learning programs lowered dropout rates, reduced achievement gaps, improved school climate, and strengthened relationships between schools, students, parents, families, civic organizations, and community partners.

4. Finally, policymakers, educators and authorizers should ask: “Do strong assessments exist beyond standardized tests that could help assess what’s happening with students in a school?” Fortunately, the answer is “yes.”   For example:
   • The Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education has created a curated collection of high quality performance assessments.
   • David Osborne produced Creating Measurement and Accountability Systems for 21st Century Schools: A Guide for State Policymakers.
   • The “Hope Survey” measures, among other things, whether students feel they can set and reach important goals. This instrument has been found to a powerful predictor of success in college.
   • Innovative district and charter educators have combined on efforts to promote a broader array of assessments.
   • The Center for School Change, where I work, has described many applied measures, including Alverno College’s public speaking assessment inventory and the New York State Performance assessments.

• Recognize the importance of assessing a broad array of skills and knowledge, not just those that are measured by standardized tests.
• Refine and encourage use by states and authorizers of valid assessments that measure an array of skills and knowledge.
• Support and encourage development of schools, chartered and otherwise that help students develop many strong skills, and broad knowledge.