In the US school system today, there is much focus on assessing students. On a large scale, schools assess students to see the school’s performance as a whole compared to other schools. In fact, here in California, many teachers “teach to the test” and do not go outside the curriculum that is on the test because the school’s test scores are tied to the school’s funding. School’s overall test scores determine how much money the state will allocate to the school-a vicious cycle is created as schools with low scores receive less funding and face possible closure or restructuring but are lacking the money to spend on new resources and equipment. According to the state, testing serves as a way to hold schools “accountable” and if the school is successful it can be labeled as such (California Department of Education). The testing includes the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program tests grades 2-11 annually and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) for seniors in high school (California Department of Education). The focus then becomes on the assessments that the students take and the curriculum focuses on state standards, assessments, and goals, sadly leaving out many subjects and areas of interest that are not on the test.
On a smaller scale, students are individually assessed to see where they are compared to the rest of the students. If students are at the lower end of the spectrum they may repeat a grade or be placed in a modified class. They may also be assessed to see if they need extra accommodations or supports.
The school system in France is also based largely off of assessments. There are three main stages of schools in France: primary school, secondary school (collège), and lycée. School is compulsory for students aged 6-16 (6 year olds start at primary school) but almost all children attend la maternelle, (nursery school), between the ages of 2 and 5 (Mills). All students go through primary school and secondary school. At the end of secondary school, an assessment is given that determines which lycée the student may attend. The lycée a student attends may be either a general, technical, or vocational one, and each lycée prepares students for a corresponding assessment at the end called le baccalauréat- passing this examination allows entry into higher education and acts as a diploma (Mills).
National assessments are given to students twice in primary school to “identify pupils struggling in school” (France). Students who are seen to be struggling are given extra help from supervised tutoring and/or specialists. In some cases, the student may be placed in a special program that includes adapted classes. These programs either have classes that are integrated into the primary school and secondary school or a completely adapted curriculum that gears students toward achieving a certificat d'aptitude professionnel instead of le baccalauréat (Mills).
I think that if schools are committed to viewing young children holistically, then the focus should not necessarily be on assessments. Children have multiple intelligences and often assessments do not take into account social or cultural contexts nor do they focus on other aspects of the child. However, assessments can be beneficial in seeing whether a child qualifies for needed accommodations or supports and making sure that they stay on track to succeed, but assessments also should be socially, culturally, and developmentally appropriate.
References:
California Department of Education. (22 January 2010). Testing & Accountability. Retrieved from California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/
