The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
“PARENTS: Spring Testing is Coming Up!” says a graphic shared on the Tennessee Department of Education’s (TDE) Facebook page. “Get your kids prepared to show what they know! You deserve to know how your child is performing in school.”
It is Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) season in Tennessee schools, a season characterized by much stress amongst schoolchildren and educators alike.
All 3rd through 8th graders are required to take the TCAP. High school students take EOCs (End of Course assessments) when they complete English I or II, Algebra I or II, Geometry, U.S. History, and Biology. Tennessee also has an optional test for 2nd grade that assesses English and Math skills.
The 2021-22 Spring TCAP testing window began on Monday April 18th and will end May 10th. Tennessee has “one of the longest running assessment programs in the country” according to the TDE. The testing “collects valuable data to inform strategic decision-making on how to best support TN students.”
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Some jokingly refer to TCAPs as the Tennessee Child Abuse Program.
A growing movement among parents to opt out of standardized testing nationally has not gained much footing in the state. Tennessee does not provide for any official way for parents to opt their child out of the tests. While there is no law that punishes parents for telling their children not to comply with testing, and teachers cannot force a child to participate in the assessments, the results account for 15-20% of the student’s final grade.
Next year, any 3rd grade student who is not proficient in reading will be held back due to a new law.
Parents and teachers weighed in on TDE’s post.
Andy Wallingsford said, “There is no one, except for politicians and bureaucrats, that want this mess!!! Not a single student, teacher, parent, administrator… period! If you’re having to have social/emotional checks on students because they are a scared mess, leading up to this then you’re doing it wrong!!!”
“I would definitely prefer to benchmark and progress monitor my students than enter into state testing,” said Alexis Douglas. “I get much more valuable data from progress monitoring than state testing would EVER offer. As a teacher, I beg the state to look at other options rather than a standardized test which really offers us no support.”
Another educator, Joni Holloway Brown said, “How many of my fellow TN educators realize that TN is one of only NINETEEN states that have rigid time limits on the state test? …And we wonder why our kids’ mental health is in such bad shape! I see kids stressed to the max as they watch the clock, knowing they’re not going to be able to work fast enough to finish within the time limit.”
Kayla Willis said, “The amount of stress that these tests cause in the students and teachers is absurd! When you have third graders that can’t sleep and are sick to their stomachs over being held back to repeat that grade, you are doing it wrong! Standardized testing is not the way to go!!”
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
I guess the students are stress they are taught little to nothing in school but sports and liberalism and to blame everybody else! Until this changes they will stress and fail. Most cannot even sign their name or tell time on a Analog clock!