6 Reasons Not to Teach to the Test & What to Do Instead

It is so tempting to teach to the test for so many teachers. I must admit that I have done it myself, and why not? On the surface, it seems that teaching to the test can boost our students’ test scores (which can even result in better compensation for us). It also means that we’re teaching our students the most important concepts, since they’re the ones that are graded. Right?

As teachers, we have a limited number of hours with our students, and teaching to the test often seems like the best use of our time. However, as enticing as this strategy may be, there are several reasons not to teach to the test.

Scores Are Distorted

The first reason not to teach to the test is that it distorts the test results. We cannot see what our students have truly learned over the course of the year when we take days, weeks, or months teaching them how to do well on the test.

When we do test preparation with our students, we teach them how to answer certain questions that will be on the test. However, even if they answer the test question correctly, it doesn’t mean that they truly comprehend the subject. Instead, your students may be able to answer the test question without being able to apply the information in any other situation.

Even if students can answer test questions correctly after we have been teaching to the test, this only shows that our students were able to memorize certain information, without necessarily understanding it. When we teach to the test, a high test score doesn’t mean that our students understand the content.

Rote Memorization

Teaching to the test relies heavily on rote memorization, drills, and committing facts to memory.

Students are expected to memorize information that is likely to be on the test and regurgitate it on test day. Is this learning? Even if our students can do this well, this type of learning is shallow and does not help our students truly understand any of the concepts we are trying to teach them.

While teaching to the test may artificially boost our students’ scores, it does not boost their learning.

Lack of Critical Thinking

Students lack the critical thinking skills and higher-level cognitive abilities they need in life when we teach to the test. They do not learn these skills when we have them memorize information.

A solid knowledge base is important, but our students do not even have that benefit when we do test preparation. However, an even more valuable skill is critical thinking. This is important when our students are making decisions in their day-to-day lives right now and will continue to be important throughout the rest of their lives.

While our students may perform well on a test, they are trading in their ability to think critically, to analyze and evaluate information, and to make informed decisions. We put our students at a disadvantage in life just so that they get a higher test score. Is this a trade we should be willing to make for our students?

Narrows the Curriculum

When teachers teach to the test, they concentrate on a specific set of information that the test will cover. Teachers are consequently narrowing the curriculum to focus on the information that will be on the test. This method of teaching limits students’ opportunities to learn so many other things just because those things are not on the test.

Teachers will concentrate on the “more important” subjects, such as math and language arts, while neglecting such topics as art, physical education, music, and social studies. As a consequence, students are not as well-rounded, and they are not given as many opportunities to try their hand at the other subjects, which may come more naturally and be more interesting to them.

Time, Precious Time

A coworker told me during my first year of teaching to get through the curriculum as best I could by March because, after that, we would be testing until the end of the school year. I thought she was exaggerating.

However, for the last couple of months, students were expected to complete an end-of-year writing test, an online diagnostic test for math and literacy, a spelling placement test, a reading level test, a comprehensive math test, and multiple days of state testing.

So as not to overwhelm our students, we try to do about one of the tests per week.

The tests alone take up a majority of our time at the end of the school year. On top of this, teachers must take the time to make sure their students understand how to use the online testing platform before they take the state test.

There is so much valuable instructional time that is lost to these tests, but this is not usually an option for teachers. However, when we add testing preparation on top of this, we lose additional days, weeks, or even months for the sake of our students’ test scores.

Morale

Have you ever been around a 4-year-old? They’re naturally curious and continually ask questions to better understand their world. However, when students are in high school (or much sooner!), they have lost their sense of wonder.

How much of this is due to the way they are taught?

Instead of making learning interesting, engaging, and student-led; teachers are item-teaching to ensure that their students know the information that will be on a test. Students don’t comprehend the information when they are taught this way. The teacher’s goal in this case is to get his or her students to be able to choose the correct answer come testing day.

So, instead of students who enjoy learning, we have students who cram for a test before moving on and forgetting most of the information they thought they learned.

It’s disheartening for students who might otherwise be interested in learning. It’s also depressing for teachers, who did not get into the field of education to teach to the test.

So, another reason to avoid teaching to the test is because it hurts the morale of students and teachers alike.

But, What Can I Do?

While there are several reasons not to teach to the test, realizing this does not tell us what to change. Thankfully, there are other methods of teaching that we can use that avoid the problems caused by teaching to the test while helping our students learn more authentically.

First of all, refusing to teach to the test does not mean you should not cover the topics covered on a test. In fact, it is very important that you do cover these topics. The difference is the way you teach them. In short, your students should be taught the topics covered on the test in a meaningful way within a wider (and deeper) context.

Broader Scope

Instead of teaching to the test, cover the content the test covers within a broader context.

For example, if your students will be tested on the types of angles, do not cover angle classification only. Instead, teach your students about angles, triangles, quadrilateral classification based on angles, and other aspects of geometry. While the test may only have your students label 4 types of angles, your instruction should require students to find examples of the angle types around the classroom or determine the type of angles a rhombus might have.

The point is to cover more than what is on the test. This will give your students context in which to understand their learning.

Drilling your students until they have something memorized does nothing in the long run. Instead of teaching your students the bits and pieces needed to score well on a test, have your students break down concepts and utilize them so that they fully understand them.

Help your students gain a comprehensive understanding of the topics on the test so that they have a context for the test questions and can apply their knowledge, rather than simply answer test questions about it.

Critical Thinking

Teach your students critical thinking skills that they can apply to academic subjects as well as life. If students understand how to think critically, they will be able to answer test questions that you haven’t even covered in class, simply because they can apply what they already know to a new situation.

Tests don’t often measure students’ ability to think critically, but it’s an important skill to have. Your students will be able to dissect questions and understand them so that they can answer them more easily. More importantly, students will be a step ahead in life when they learn critical thinking skills.

When you teach your students how to think, instead of what to think, they can apply this skill to all other aspects of life. However, when you only teach your students the concepts that they will be tested on in school (only to the point where they can answer questions correctly), they have no way to use this information later in life.

Formative Assessment

While this strategy doesn’t necessarily work with state testing, it is a great strategy to use in your own classroom with the tests that you give your students.

Formative assessments are used to determine what students know. The difference is, teachers can use this data to inform their instruction, instead of giving students a grade and moving on.

To use this strategy, teachers should teach their students the content and give their students a formative test. After determining which areas students still struggle with, the teacher can reteach this information in a different way. Then, students have another opportunity to show that they learned.

This is a great strategy because it helps teachers make informed decisions about what they still need to teach their students. If the whole class struggles with a particular part of a lesson or unit, the teacher can reteach that section to the entire class. When a smaller set of students misses a question on a formative quiz, the teacher can reteach that part of the lesson to that small group.

It is important no to teach the content the exact same way. There is a reason your students didn’t understand the lesson the first time! Make sure you change the way you teach the lesson by making the learning more interactive or using different learning styles. Read my last blog post to help you do this.

More Than a Test Score

When so much is riding on state testing, it can be difficult to remember how unique our students are. While school administration may look at the scores of our students, we must remember that there is so much more to our students than how well they do on a test – and we must remind our students of this!

Before we take too much stock in a student’s score, we must consider their mental and physical health. What is their home life like right now? What needs need to be met emotionally before they are ready to perform well on a test? Students’ basic needs must be met before they can concentrate on higher-level learning or stressful tests.

Especially during state testing, remind your students of their strengths. Point out their respect and responsibility when you see it. Rejoice in the artistic ability and creativity of your students. Praise your students for their courage and resilience. Compliment them on their compassion.

Make your students understand that their value is not in their test scores.