Our Students are More than a Test Score

 I recently read an article in Civil Beat titled, "Hawaii Charter Schools Say Test Scores Don't Tell the Whole Story."  I know that many - if not all - of the charter schools in Hawai`i are having a positive impact on their students and school communities despite their Strive-HI data. Students are engaged in hands-on learning, are often perpetuating their culture and their language, are involved in their communities, and are creating the kinds of caring leaders we need now and in the future. Though their test scores may not show it, students ARE learning.

I remember when I was a principal and had just completed a walkthrough at our school which went well. Our students were excited to share with our visitors about what and how they were learning.  During our post-visit conversation, there were many positive comments:  Your school is probably the most vibrant one we've visited. The kids are doing great things. The students are articulate and confidently shared their learning. And then this: But what about your test scores? There it was; the question I knew was coming. I was prepared with an answer, but I don't know if the visitors agreed. To them, test scores were the indicator for whether a school was successful. 

Our test scores were not bad. We were always in the middle of the pack when compared to other elementary schools across the State. Could it have been higher? Sure, but that was not our priority. We didn't ignore the fact that the tests were required. We prepared the students by having them take the practice test and having discussions about the questions and why an answer might be a better choice. Teachers encouraged the students to try hard and to not give up and taught strategies for test-taking,  But test prep was not emphasized and we definitely did not want our students stressing over a test which did not define who they were. 

At our school, we recognized that we are living in a fast-changing world. We wanted our students to have the skills they would need to be the problem-finders and the problem-solvers that our world needs. This slide show from 2014, created by our tech team, was shared with our school community about how our teachers and students were transitioning to a world where technology was viewed as a tool to explore, discover, create, and share. As I examined these slides, I was amazed at how our teachers and students were using technology at a time when it was not prioritized in our school system. 

When the pandemic disrupted schools back in 2020, many educators and students struggled to adjust to distance or virtual learning. Educators were forced to learn how to use technology to plan lessons and to connect with their students. They persevered and learned new strategies and tools; it was amazing! When the pandemic ended and school was once-again in-person, however, it seems that in many cases, technology is no longer a priority. The emphasis seems to be on learning loss and hiring tutors to provide more reading and math to raise test scores of students who fell behind during the pandemic. When will we realize that students are more than a test score? 

Technology does not come naturally to me, and I struggle to learn new ways of learning. I think that's true of many senior citizens. Our students, however, live in a far-different world than the one I grew up in, and our youngsters already use technology seamlessly in their daily lives. Except in school. Unless given the opportunity. 

Today, different forms of technology can change teaching and learning in our schools (7 Emerging Technologies That Will Reshape Education in 2023) but how many teachers know how to use these tools for themselves as well as for their students? Do schools have professional learning opportunities to share new technology for teachers and students  to connect and collaborate with others and to share their learning? Are schools providing opportunities for students to take classes on-line, not just for credit-recovery, but to gain experience with virtual learning? How do we engage students using technology and how can we provide a personalized educational experience for them? These are questions that schools should be discussing; our students need to be prepared for their world, one that is changing rapidly and where learning new technologies is essential.  

In this day and age, we should be looking at students through a wider lens. Test scores and grade point averages should not be the only way we define them. Instead, we should be asking questions such as: What do they want to learn? What are their strengths and their challenges? How do they learn best? How do they work with others? What interests do they have outside of school? How do they get their information? What are their goals? How can we making learning relevant for all students? 

Let's stop defining students and schools only by their test scores in math and reading.

This is one of my favorite videos to share with educators. It is four years old, and is probably already outdated, but the message is clear. Schools today need to prepare students for their future. Using test scores as a way to rank and judge students and schools ignores the individual strengths and interests of all students. Let's do better; our students deserve it!