�When performance is measured performance improves. When
performance is measured and reported the rate of improvement
accelerates.�
Quote from Thomas S. Monson
There are many different types of testing. As home school
parent teachers we test all the time. We ask questions of our
children. Asking questions of what they have done is a form of
testing. Testing in and of itself can be good or bad. The
deciding factor is how we use it; how we administer it.
What is the purpose of testing?
First off, let us eliminate testing required by government regulation
or law. This type of testing has a purpose in itself separate from the
testing the parent needs to evaluate the child or student's academic
progress. With this type of testing the government is attempting to
determine whether you the parent teacher is providing a proper
education for your child.
If a regulating governmental body was not present, would testing be
advantageous? The question about testing is do you need to know
where your child is in his or her education achievement. Where is
your child deficient in their education acquisition? You are not testing
to compare your child against another within or outside your family
sphere. You are testing to determine what understanding of a
subject(s) your child has acquired. It is irrelevant whether the child
next door or across the country has a superior or inferior knowledge
or mastery of a given subject(s). Your concern is solely with your
child. Does he or she understand the subject?
When and how often should we test?
Many home school families mirror their teaching instruction cycle with
that of the public school system. The public school system instruction
is a nine month per year cycle. If this is your school cycle it is
recommended that the instruction year start off with testing to
establish a scale to measure future progress. This also allows the
parent to see what knowledge the child has a full subject understanding
and what subject knowledge needs remedial work. A student testing
at the end of the instruction cycle before summer activities may score
higher on specific subject matter than they do at next year�s beginning
cycle. This may indicate the child had not fully acquired an adequate
subject understanding. This is normal; this first test is valuable to
assist the parent teacher in remedial instruction efforts.
Whether you are using a professionally designed curriculum or a
curriculum designed to match your child�s specific interests,
periodic goals of subject mastery is important. Minimal testing is
at the beginning and end of the school year. To keep subject
mastery performance on schedule testing in the middle of the
school year is advised. This will allow the parent to judge whether
adequate progress is being made. It provides the parent teacher
with information and time to make course adjustments to meet
your year�s knowledge level goal. If you home school year round,
you may want to consider testing on a quarterly basis.
Positive Testing Attitude
When children have spent time in public schools they may acquire
a negative attitude toward testing. Testing is common in our public
school system. Often teachers will test the students at the end of
the week on the material covered during that week�s instruction.
There is nothing wrong with this testing methodology except the
way it is recorded and reported. The test scores are adjusted to
a statistical norm. A student in a class with other high achievers
may find a test score of ninety-two percent be graded a �C.�
That same test result in another class may be awarded an �A�
grade. Testing to be a useful tool to judge performance of the
student should be a comparison of that student against a set
standard and the student�s past knowledge achievement level.
A comparison scale judging the student against another student
has minimal value in helping a child acquire knowledge or in
measuring that child's knowledge achievement.
Comparing students against each other creates an environment
of competition where competition should not exist. There is
nothing wrong with competition. Competition in and of itself is
good and healthy for society. In a learning environment where
subject mastery is the goal, testing competition becomes a
negative motivation factor to those in the average or below
average of the norm. This is true whether the norm be of high
achievers or average to low achievers.
The goal of the teacher should be to build a student�s mastery of
a subject. Competitive knowledge games can and should be used
to make learning fun and exciting. Learning and discovering
knowledge is fun. It is our duty as parent teachers to keep the
love of discovery alive in our children.
As parent teachers we create the proper environment for
learning by acknowledging growth and performance. We need to
continually encourage our children in their discovery of the world.
Doing this creates a positive attitude to discovery, learning
and testing.
Testing Danger�s � Negative Side Effects
After completing a test or series of tests a student often feels
they had been studying the wrong information. A student
tested using proper test administration has not been coached
on the questions. It is common for a student to feel their studies
have been lacking especially when test questions cover subject
material they are not familiar. If the test questions are proper
for subject mastery, the questions then illustrate a deficiency in
subject acquisition and understanding. The student should be
encouraged to continue studies, and counseled that a test is
solely a measuring stick.
A danger of state governmental required testing is the
temptation to teach based on the test. A student needs an
understanding of the subject, not answers to test questions.
Mastery of a subject is different than memorization of answers
to test questions.
The parent teacher�s response to test results can negatively
affect a child�s attitude of themselves. We must always remember
not to compare one child to another. Within a family you will find
one child able to master a skill easily while another child finds it
difficult. We must not compare one child to another. When
there is a noticeable difference they may see and compare
themselves. As home school parents, we must work to encourage
the child having difficulty. A student having difficulty in one area
usually has other areas where their performance is exemplary.
We need to praise where praise is deserved, and help motivate,
and assist where added attention is required. This is where a
good home school environment shines. As a parent teacher you
have the motivation and time to assist each child in their
development individually.
A test should be challenging. If a test is not a challenge, the test
was not adequately chosen to that child�s knowledge level. We
are not testing to record ninety percentile or above results. The
purpose of testing is to determine a child�s subject knowledge
achievement. A student does not usually progress in a straight line
in all subject matter. Often a student will have special interests.
These special interests cause the child to excel in one area over
other areas. Over a period of time, the student�s interests change
and their knowledge will progress in their new area of learning
discovery. As home school parents, we need to be aware of this
growth development and adjust our instructing and testing to their
specific needs. It is possible for a student to be at multiple
knowledge levels, junior high, high school, and college level all at
the same time. Our job as home school parent teachers is to
assist and guide our child in the areas they are deficient while
providing them opportunities to develop in their areas of interest.
Teaching the test (see No Child Left Behind)
The goal of testing is to determine the subject knowledge level
of a student. Teaching a student to memorize a test�s answers is
not testing for subject mastery. The student has simply memorized
an answer and may not have any idea why that answer is correct.
Our public school�s have fallen into this trap because of the law
�No Child Left Behind.�
Testing for subject mastery should not present any undo pressure
on the student. The student is presented the opportunity to answer
questions. The answers to the questions are then used to evaluate
that specific students understanding of subject material. A student
should study for subject mastery; not test mastery. The test
should offer a challenge to the student. A test where the student
scores highly does not give the teacher the information the teacher
needs. As a home school parent you need to know where your child
student is academically. If you have given them a test where they
have scored in the ninety percentile, you need to retest with a more
challenging test. You need to know what they do not know. I do
not believe most home school families home school so they are in
competition with the public school system. We home school because
we know we can educate our children to excel above those taught by
government public schools. Testing our children is done to determine
what we need to do to assist our children in their development and
growth.
Standardized Government Tests
Standardized tests are not designed to evaluate individual students.
These standardized tests compare a child�s progress to the progress
of other children. When the results of these tests are reported to
the child they can create self esteem problems. No two children
learn at the same pace. The information obtained from these
standardized tests is of minimal value if the desired goal was to
assist an individual student.
Tests can be good or disastrous to a student�s enjoyment of
learning. A test comparing one student to another can destroy a
student�s creativity and willingness to take risks. Life requires us to
take risks. When we limit the risks we take to protect ourselves, we
limit our opportunities to learn. In our public schools where tests are
used to compare one child to another child creativity and risk taking
are stifled. No one wants to be ostracized. The grading system in
our public school�s does just that; it ostracizes one student one from
another. A child will either try to fall in line with others or rebel.
Both of the chosen options are destructive to the child and to society.
We must be careful how we use tests. In large families we must be
careful we do not compare one child to another. We are all
individuals with our own strengths and weaknesses.
Margene has been actively involved in education since the early 1980's. Her children have been homeschooled; two of her four have attended public school. Margene is an administrator for a private home school academy.