KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A study has determined that Kansas schools are relying too heavily on test scores rather than teacher comments when deciding if changes are needed in an individual student’s education.
KCUR-FM reports that University of Kansas researchers argue student assessments in the state should be data-driven rather than data-dependent in determining if a deviation from the established curriculum is required.
The study released earlier this year calls for a balanced system that includes teacher recommendations, test scores and other metrics.
Don Stull is one of the study’s authors and a professor emeritus at KU. He says good teachers are right to say standardized tests are merely a part of the picture, and that assessments of a child’s performance should include “all that we know.”