Infographic: Consequences of Teaching to the Test

Learning today has become highly standardized. We ask students to reach a learning standard and measure it with bubble tests that identify whether we successfully taught them what they needed to know to clear the bar. Yet, are we only teaching students to pass a standardized test? Best Masters in Education published some compelling data recently that makes us think twice about “teaching to the test.”
School funding and teachers’ paychecks are closely linked to the students’ scores and performance. In 2009, 32 percent of schools did not meet nationwide standards. Achievement gaps between demographics based upon income level and nationality are visibly present in the data retrieved from these tests. The pressure and stakes are so high to perform well that cheating occurs at one in five schools.
While it’s necessary to ensure that every students has grasped concepts across a wide range of subject areas for the success of their future, this data questions whether standardized tests are the solution to that necessity. How effective is the testing when it takes away up to 18 percent of class time for regular material and coursework? Who benefits from stakes so high that teachers and students resort to cheating?
View the infographic below:

From: BestMastersInEducation.com