High-Stakes = High Stress

Dear Ed Inquiry,

As a concerned (and confused) parent, I need to know what qualifies as a high-stake test. We live in Colorado, and I am not sure if the TCap and TSap are considered high-stakes assessments. Thank you for clearing it up! High Stakes = High Stress

Dear High Stakes = High Stress,

Good question!  We found this great resource that spells out explicitly what constitutes a high-stakes test. Basically, any test that is given to a large population of students in a state or district that is used to inform educational decisions based on that one score has serious implications for students and teachers. This definitely qualifies your state tests as high-stakes! What’s worse it that using one test against teachers and students  flies in the face of the common sense approach that educators embrace: intelligent educational decisions need to be based on a variety of assessments. Educators understand that one test doesn’t give them the big picture.  Want to know more? Click here to learn more about how the Common Core standards and the related high-stakes tests came to be.  Lots of money is being poured into these initiatives instead of going where it belongs: in the classroom to benefit your children. And, to see how failing these tests harms students, read this.  We also encourage you to sign up this free (yes, free) webinar on August 24 to learn more about opting out of your state test. Even if this is something you’re not quite sure about, this webinar will give you valuable information to help you make an informed decision. Being informed and educated is the first step in affecting a change. We applaud you for taking that step!

Sincerely,

Ed Inquiry