There are many factors that determine a student's grade on a standardized test -- test taking ability, time of day, physical and emotional issues and testing anxiety. Students who may have the same subject knowledge and intelligence might score differently on the test based on personal issues and outside factors. Likewise, testing inequities can affect students' grades. A student may be a hard worker, but a poor test-taker, which can result in a lower grade and a frustrated student.
Advanced Placement classes are known for their rich curriculum that adapts to various learning styles. Yet, the tests that students must take do not reflect this diversity. In order to prepare students for AP exams, teachers must teach to the test -- almost exclusively. This poses problems with grading because some students may work hard and deserve an A, yet they are not able to master the AP testing process.
When the focus of education becomes a grade point average or a normed test score, students often lose the joy of learning. Mastering standardized tests takes practice and routine, but after an 18-week semester of taking the same kinds of assessments over and over, students tend to care little about what they are learning and more about the percentage on their paper. High school classes should be about discovery and learning, not about standardized test scores.
Teachers may feel as if they are caught between a rock and a hard place when teaching mandated standardized testing. But before you turn in your red pen and give up teaching, there is a way to offer students a diverse and rigorous curriculum while still preparing them for the final test. Make sure that you set aside plenty of time in your day for creative activities that appeal to all learning styles, use standardized test prep as a way to have students engage in collaborative learning and be sure to emphasize the process of learning in your classroom, so that students are rewarded for work ethic, diligence and improvement. Writing portfolios, peer editing, group projects and Socratic seminars are a great way to provide a balance in a standardized classroom.