by Joost Steffensen

Created on: July 10, 2008

Disclosure: I'm a teacher myself. However I nowadays work in adult education where student testing is a different matter altogether.

There are three main reasons why teachers shouldn't be held accountable for low student test scores. The first one is that it defeats the purpose of the test. Test are made to test students not teachers. The second reason is that there simply is no way to say for sure who is to blame for low test scores, there are simply to many unknowns in the equation and finally using test as a benchmark for teacher performance is like filling in a hole after a student fell in and broke his neck, learning has already not taking place, the student has already failed, why was nothing done sooner?

That's it in a nutshell, but allow me to elaborate each point:

TESTS ARE FOR STUDENTS

Test are designed to measure student performance. In order for the student to be properly motivated to prepare for the test he or she needs to know that this test will say something about them, about the progress they have made and that their score will have an impact on their future academic career.

However as soon as the test becomes a way to measure teacher performance something strange occurs. The student is no longer solely responsible for his or her score. Does this motivate? I don't think so. I think it leads to students feeling responsible themselves for good scores, but blaming teachers for low scores.

I feel this alone is enough to stop using test as a benchmark for teacher performance. Of course teachers should do all they can to help students get the best scores, but they must stop at taking responsibility.

Just to see how strange it is to blame teachers for low scores look at college. College professors seem to relish making tests that are notoriously difficult to pass. In some courses only 10% of students pass. Is the professor held accountable? No his class is held in high esteem and his test is a benchmark of academic excellence that his students need to aspire to.

WHO IS TO BLAME REALLY?

So what determines a student test score anyway? Basically a lot depends on the raw material you get, the students. What are their innate abilities, how much did they learn before they entered your class, is their home environment conducive to study? All of these things matter, but a teacher has no control over whether he gets to teach a class of young Einsteins or the polar opposite.

Another factor is the classroom-mix, what kind of chemistry is there between the children, do

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