he state of Florida has an addiction to testing.
An August report by The Washington Post took an in-depth look at the system of standardized testing in Florida’s public schools. The findings were astounding. According to a schedule released by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the district will be conducting more than three dozen separate standardized tests for students in third through 12th grade during the 2014-2015 school year.
That number doesn’t even include the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams taken by thousands of Florida high school students every year.
The abundance of standardized tests in Florida schools is largely due to the efforts of former Gov. Jeb Bush. Bush was a proponent of comprehensive testing, and his "A+ Plan" helped tie school funding to student performance on a variety of tests.
Since leaving the governor’s mansion, Bush has continued his advocacy for standardized testing. His foundation has found itself in ethical and legal trouble for using money donated by private education companies, such as Pearson and Amplify, to fund expensive conference trips for state education officials.
Although former Gov. Charlie Crist and Gov. Rick Scott have not been as forceful in promoting standardized testing, the tests continue to play a central role in how Florida’s children are taught and schools are funded.
In theory, such tests can be a good measure of whether students are learning and applying the material they are taught.
Unfortunately, placing these tests at the center of Florida’s education system has had a negative effect on the state’s schools. Rather than learning the basic knowledge and skills needed to excel later in life, Florida students are being taught that test-taking skills are the primary determinant of educational success.
Anti-testing advocates scored a major win this week when state education officials announced the cancellation of the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR), administered to students in kindergarten through second grade.
The crusade against FAIR was led by Susan Bowles, an Alachua County kindergarten teacher. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Bowles’ refusal to administer the test helped put pressure on the state to end it entirely.
Although FAIR did not have implications for school funding, the fact that a standardized test for elementary school children ever existed to begin with is proof of how out of control Florida’s testing regime has become.
Scott has ordered a full review of testing practices in Florida schools. Ultimately, such a review will be meaningful only if it leads to moving away from standardized testing and toward a focus on actual, substantive education.
The education with which we provide Florida’s elementary, middle and high school students will be a major factor in shaping the future of our state. To give these students the best education possible, the standardized testing craze must be brought to a swift and permanent end.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 9/17/2014 under the headline "Florida should re-evaluate testing"]
