Educators: Parents should look beyond test scores for measures of their children's progress

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ST. PAUL, Minn. Aug. 7, 2017 – The Minnesota Department of Education released on Monday the scores for the 2017 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, or MCAs. Education Minnesota President Denise Specht issued the following statement in response.

“A single test score cannot measure the progress toward a well-rounded education any more than a photo on a driver’s license can show someone’s skill behind the wheel,” said Specht. 

“Grades, conferences with teachers and even talks with the children themselves are all equally important sources of information for parents. Teachers know finding ways to engage students and inspire in them a love of learning is more important than chasing scores on two tests given in the spring.”

“Minnesota, and many other states, are moving toward more authentic measures of equity in our schools than test scores alone, which is a welcome change,” Specht said. “The testing industry continues to be dominated by a few profit-driven corporations and suffers from a frustrating lack of transparency. We can only hope that someday teachers will see the questions on these tests in time to judge for themselves how well they match their school’s curriculum.”

About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.