A Kid's View: Why I Don't Like STAR Testing

Last week my fourth grade class completed our second week of STAR testing.

In the morning we sit down and start working on the tests for about an hour and a half. The testing itself is a two-week process, with language arts in the first week and math in the second, but it feels like we have been preparing the whole year. 

One of the main things I dislike is how the school gets judged based on the kids’ scores. This is bad because a teacher could be amazing, but have a class that does not have many academically talented kids, which could result in teachers getting blamed when they shouldn’t be. In addition, many kids know that the schools and teachers get judged which puts more pressure on the kids than necessary.

Another thing I have found is that teachers teach what is on the test, which is not everything kids need to learn. Supposedly, in school we learn skills we will need in our life. Though I feel like I have spent a lot of time figuring out the chances that Sasha’s spinner will land on red. Chances are I won’t have to deal with that in my life.

One would think teachers would be able to see if a kid understands multiplication for example rather than need a test to do it for them. Another thing is that some kids have the skills but are not good with the strict environment of standardized tests.

Seriously, in these last couple weeks we could have been learning fifth grade math that would get us a leg up next year, but instead we have spent time over-reviewing fourth grade math.