Chapter Five: Katherine Perry

As educators we have repeatedly heard that standardized testing is not a true measure of learning. I was taught to question the value of standardized testing years ago in my education courses, yet today's students are tested more than ever. It leads me to question who is holding the reins of public education. The professionals in the field know standardized testing does not improve learning, but testing still occurs. This focus on testing is killing the joy of learning for many students. Chapter Five of "Readicide" discusses the loss of America's secret weapon - the creative, risk taking, student - to over testing and the thinning and drilling of instruction. Students want to learn through meaningful and relevant experiences, not through worksheets. This focus on creative learning and critical thinking is reinforced in a new report released by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities titled: "Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America's Future Through Creative Schools". Just like reading the arts have also taken a major hit because of the emphasis on teaching to the test. The arts and reading have been found to lower drop out rates and create the kind of critical thinking workforce required for today's jobs. We know the importance of in-depth, arts-rich learning, but somehow the standardized tests continue to run the show.