On Monday FCAT begins. It is a test that will determine if my students will progress to fourth grade. It trumps what they have done the rest of the year. It is a test that will determine if I am considered an effective teacher. In a recent article in Phi Delta Kappan, a professional journal for educators, research show that gains in student achievement are influenced by much more than the any individual teacher. School factors such as class size, curriculum materials, instructional time, availability of specialists and tutors and resources for learning are a factor. Another factor is home and community support. Individual student needs and abilities, health and attendance are a factor. Differential summer learning loss is a factor, especially among low-income children.
It is folly to think that a four day test can give you the whole picture of a child, as it is to think it does the same for a teacher. It is disheartening to think that teachers who sacrifice to promote the love of learning to children are reduce to a secret state mathematical formula.
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