By Tricia Goyer, author of Generation NeXt Parenting

Achievement testing is a big concern for educators and parents today. Whether children attend public, private or home schools, parents hope these small tests will give them big answers. Achievement tests are designed to allow students to demonstrate their academic proficiency, but are they a reliable measure of the child’s and the school’s performance?

What is the Purpose of Achievement Tests?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, “Tests are yardsticks. Schools use them to measure, and then improve education. Some tell schools that they need to strengthen courses or change teaching techniques. Other tests compare students by schools, school districts, or cities.” (Help Your Child Improve Test-Taking, U.S. Department of Education, April 1993).

While standardized tests fulfill their purpose of comparing district against district, most educators will agree that this type of testing falls short in when it comes to individual assessment. “Most standardized tests tell a child’s general achievement compared to a national sample,” says Joan Herman, Associate Director of CRESST, the National Center for Research on Evaluation Standards and Student Testing. “These tests don’t tell parents about what their child is able to do. If your child scores in the 90th percentile, it does not mean your child has answered 90% of the questions correctly. This just tells you where they place in comparison to other children.”

Inge Cannon, associate director of the National Center of Home Education, agrees, “Many parents, and even some teachers don’t stop to recognize that a standardized test does not give a measurement of what that child knows or what that child can do. You are given a measurement of how that child performed in comparison to the rest of the population.”

Parents need to take this into consideration as test time approaches. While the results are informative, they are more a gauge for educators than a measuring stick for parents.

What Value Should I Place on These Tests?

While these tests can give you an idea of your child’s strengths and weaknesses, they’re not conclusive. “A single test on a single day provides a general barometer of how your child is doing,” Herman says. “If your child is at the very bottom, you should seek more help. If your child is at top, you need to continue your hard work.”

Problems arise when parents use these tests as a basis to esteem or criticize their children. If parents are dissatisfied with the child’s score, that child may feel defeated and discouraged.

Parents who use the test scores for bragging rights also create problems. For example, your second-grader may receive reading scores that place him in the forth-grade range. “Be careful with these grade equivalents and don’t report them to anyone else,” Cannon says. She refers parents to 2 Corinthians 10:12: “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves they are not wise.”

What Other Factors Should I Consider?

So what’s a parent to do? Should we throw out the standardized tests altogether and never have our children take them again? “No,” Cannon says, “but we need to have a healthy respect for what they are and what they’re designed to do as well as for what their limitations are.”

The best advice is to simply to give them the significance they deserve. “Remember, it’s just one test,” Herman says. “Measurement experts agree that parents, teachers and schools should never focus on one single number. If the test is low and you’re unhappy with what your child is doing in school, then you need to seek answers. But also remember that some children don’t test well, and for those children standardized testing is not an indicator. Instead,” Hermon concludes, “focus on what you see happening every day.”

Here’s what you can do to help your child prepare:

1. Ask your child’s teacher about the types of assessment tests your child will be taking, and get the schedule for those tests.

2. Ask how to help your child prepare for the tests. Some schools give students a chance to practice in taking tests to familiarize them with directions and test format. Find out whether your school provides this type of practice.

3. Talk to your child about the type of tests he will be taking. Address any confusion or anxiety he expresses. Reduce anxiety by explaining what will happen during the test.

4. Encourage your child to read all test directions and ask for help about the directions if needed. Remind your child to answer easy questions first and return to the difficult ones later.

5. Don’t “cram” for tests. Real learning happens over the course of weeks and months. Cramming only adds to your child’s anxiety. Instead, keep track of your child’s progress in school and be available to assist with homework.

6. As always, maximize your child’s ability to focus his attention each day by making sure he gets a good night’s sleep, eats well, and receives adequate exercise.

Don’t be anxious about your child’s scores or judge him on the basis of a single score. Review his test scores with him. Discuss his areas of difficulty and brainstorm ideas for improvement. Look for gaps or inconsistencies and determine if the test scores are compatible with what you know of your child.

“Parents’ efforts are better spent on ensuring your child receives a good education, which includes talking with your child’s teacher,” Joan Herman says, “and asking for specific ways to help your child learn better.”

Tricia Goyer is the author of seven novels, six non-fiction books, and one children's book. Tricia was named MHCW's "Writer of the Year" in 2003. In 2005, her book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion. Also in 2005, her novel Night Song won ACFW's Book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of a Thousand Nights also won Book of the Year for Long Historical. She's written over 300 articles for national publications and hundreds of Bible Study notes for the Women of Faith Study Bible. Tricia lives in Montana with her husband and three kids where she homeschools, leads children's church, and mentors teenage mothers.

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