A pause on TNReady? A big step back for students. | Opinion
An annual state assessment tracks progress and informs of the achievement and needs of every student.
A pause on TNReady? A big step back for students. | Opinion An annual state assessment tracks progress and informs of the achievement and needs of every student. Check out this story on commercialappeal.com: https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2018/08/11/tnready-tennessee-education/940808002/
Sharon Roberts, Guest Columnist Published 10:00 a.m. CT Aug. 11, 2018
TNReady testing at the state's high schools is again making news, here's what you need to know about the flap.
Districts across the state experienced several technical difficulties with this year's state test TNReady.(Photo: File / Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean)
An annual state assessment tracks progress and informs of the achievement and needs of all students.
This is a response to Memphis and Nashville school heads who say they have no confidence in TNReady.
Sharon Roberts is the chief strategy officer for the State Collaborative on Reforming Education.
I am proud to be a lifelong Tennessee educator who has served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, school principal, and district superintendent of schools.
More recently, as the chief strategy officer for the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), I have the privilege of working with teachers and district leaders across our state to accelerate Tennessee's incredible momentum in student academic achievement.
I have spent my career working with Tennessee's dedicated educators and parents to help our students learn and succeed.
So I genuinely understand and underscore the frustrations felt by so many over the delays, disruptions, and disappointments schools faced during this spring's administration of the TNReady student assessment.
Tennessee students, teachers, and parents work much too hard for their efforts to go unrecognized through an annual assessment.
From my personal experience, I know an annual state assessment that is implemented well tracks their progress and informs them of the achievement and needs of every student.
We must take every step to make sure statewide assessment goes smoothly and correctly. Getting it mostly right is never going to be acceptable.
But I am troubled by calls from key leaders for a "pause" or elimination of Tennessee's annual statewide student assessment. During my 35-plus-year career, Tennessee has always invested in assessing students. Finally, teachers have an assessment with content aligned to the higher Tennessee standards they use in class every day.
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The value of assessment is substantial. And as someone who now works for a research and advocacy organization, I could highlight the value of an annual assessment by calling out the importance to parents, teachers, and school administrators of knowing how well their students are doing.
And I could note the assessment provides a gauge of how our teachers are doing and how we can better support them in their work with students. I could also tell you that the accountability system we have in place ensures more students learn at higher levels and identifies schools that are doing well and those that need more supports.
And I would be remiss if I did not note that the understanding we gain from the annual assessment can zero in on the needs of historically underserved students.
But I have personal experience with the value of assessment as an educator. I remember when there were no state standards and I taught primarily from a textbook. I gave tests unaligned to what I was teaching — and I found no value from the results.
I remember when I was unable as a school leader to use the data on students and teachers in any meaningful way and how difficult it was to explain to parents how to help their children succeed.
See inside an Amqui Elementary School third-grade class
Third graders Derrick Roberson, Jeremiah Silvas and Bastion Walton read books in Jennifer Figueredo's class at Amqui Elementary on Thursday Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Lance High, principal of Amqui Elementary, talks about how the school tracks the reading levels of their students on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary School Principal Lance High hugs a student at Amqui Elementary School on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Third grader Derrick Roberson reads in Jennifer Figueredo's class at Amqui Elementary on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, TN. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary School third grade teacher Jennifer Figueredo fist bumps one of her students as she sits with her class at Amqui Elementary on Thursday, May 4, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Breakfast awaits students at Amqui Elementary School every morning during the 2016-17 school year. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary School third grade student Bastion Walton eats breakfast at the start of the day in Jennifer Figueredo's classroom on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary School third grade student Brandon Muhammad eats breakfast at the start of the day in Jennifer Figueredo's classroom on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Third grader Jadyn Moore reads a book in Jennifer Figueredo's class at Amqui Elementary Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Third grader Trinity Rogers talks with teacher Jennifer Figueredo about a book during class at Amqui Elementary on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Third grade students Moses Mason and Trinity Rogers talk with teacher Jennifer Figueredo during class at Amqui Elementary on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Third grade students lounge on the floor as they read in Jennifer Figueredo's class at Amqui Elementary on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary School students wait for their name to be called during after-school pickup on Thursday, May 4, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary student Vanessa Moreno Salache is one of the last students to be picked up after school on Thursday, May 4, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary School student Jennifer Figueredo waits after school with students long after class ends on Thursday May 4, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui third grade teacher rearrange names of students to reflect what reading grade level they fall into at the end of the school year on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / THE TENNESSEAN
Cortez Murphy prepares for his day with Jordan and father Corey on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy prepares for his day with his father Corey Murphy on Tuesday May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy puts away dishes after breakfast on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy prepares for his day with father Corey Murphy on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy prepares for his day with father Corey Murphy and Jordan on Tuesday May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy is a third grader at Amqui Elementary. Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, TN Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy listens to teacher Jennifer Figueredo in third grade class at Amqui Elementary on Tuesday May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy listens to teacher Jennifer Figueredo in third grade class at Amqui Elementary on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary third grade student Cortez Murphy takes a reading test on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy laughs with friends in third grade teacher Jennifer Figueredo's classroom at Amqui Elementary on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy plays in the bouncy house during Amqui Elementary's field day on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy waits in line during Amqui Elementary's field day on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Students play outside during Amqui Elementary's field day on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy runs with a friend during Amqui Elementary's field day on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy laughs during Amqui Elementary School's field day on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy plays with friends during Amqui Elementary School's field day on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. The parent teacher organization funded the day's activities. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy plays with friends during Amqui Elementary School's field day on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. The parent teacher organization funded the day's activities with most of the money it had in its funds. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Amqui Elementary School teacher Jennifer Figueredo's third grade classroom walks in the halls on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy takes a test in Amqui Elementary School teacher Jennifer Figueredo's classroom on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy takes a test in Amqui Elementary School teacher Jennifer Figueredo's classroom on Tuesday May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
A cafeteria worker serves lunch to Cortez Murphy at Amqui Elementary School on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Cortez Murphy eats lunch at Amqui Elementary School with friends on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
I now have the privilege of working with courageous educators across the state who teach with strong Tennessee standards and are hungry for the data from a well-implemented, aligned assessment to decide how to improve instruction.
With the assessment and accountability system, Tennessee students have achieved unprecedented academic growth that outpaces most other states.
Let's stop talking about pausing state assessment and instead come together to work through the test administration problems so Tennessee stays on the path that made us the fastest-improving state in student achievement.
Pushing pause on annual assessment would be a big step backward for children, and for Tennessee.
If anything, our students deserve leaders at all levels who will work to ensure a seamless administration of an assessment of what they are learning.
Student-centered instruction, testing, and accountability done right help more Tennessee students learn and achieve at higher levels. Assessment gives educators information that they can use to improve instruction. And assessment gives families the information they need to better support their children's success in school, in college and career, and in life.
All Tennesseans need to know how our students and schools are doing. Few things are more important to our children, our state, and our future.
Dr. Sharon Roberts is chief strategy officer at SCORE and a career educator.
Sharon Robert (Photo: Submitted)
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