by Patricia Coffman

Created on: November 08, 2007   Last Updated: July 22, 2008

It takes both aptitude and motivation from students to achieve higher test scores. These two factors are founded at home and conditioned in the classroom. A teacher may extend a higher rate of academic achievement in their students only when encouragement to do well in school is instilled by their the parents. When kids do not have a strong family support base at home, it has a profound affect on academic performance at school. For this reason, teachers should not be held fully accountable for low student test scores.

Under a high rate of imperfect circumstances, it is not fair to hold a teacher accountable for low scores on any kind of test. For example, what if the school has a high percentage of students with drug addictions, students who are depressed, or who come from highly dysfunctional families? What if there is abuse or neglect going on at home? These are variables that can't be fixed in the classroom. Success in the classroom involves the teacher, the students, and the direction they receive at home. It is a team effort and should be treated as such.

It isn't the teacher's fault if he or she has a room full of students who have little or no interest in learning. Even if the teacher ranks at their top of his or her field and are exceptional motivators; they shouldn't be held responsible for low scores on their students' tests. This is especially true with a room full of students who, for whatever reason, do not have a desire to learn. The teacher may be able to reach and inspire some of them, but not under some circumstances.

In a perfect world, all test takers are motivated learners prior to taking the test. Obviously that would have a direct impact on achieving higher scores. But we don't live in a perfect world, so we can't depend on having a classroom full of motivated, well-adjusted students to work with. On the other side of the coin, you can't guarantee that every teacher is up to standards either. It is quite possible to have a room full of motivated students who will take a test only to fulfill a requirement that followed a succession of lackluster teaching experiences that, in turn, failed to effectively cover the test objectives. This would contribute to lower test scores, and should be largely blamed on the teacher. An incompetent teacher does not motivate, nor inspire students to learn.

The bottom line is that it takes a village to raise a child, and that includes support from home as well as from the school. It is the combined responsibility of the teacher, the student, the administrator, and the family to educate our children. One should not hold the teachers or the students responsible without first taking a close look at all the variables that come into play. It just isn't logical.

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