Best Las Vegas Elementary | Innovation Academy
Teaching Students How to Learn, Not Just How to Take Tests
Bed wetting, nail biting, crying and faking sickness to stay home. This is not the intended results of standardized testing for a 7 year old, however, this is what I hear when parents open up about the effects testing is having on their child.
Why Testing Matters
The purpose of testing has great intentions. When standardized tests were implemented years ago, parents and teachers supported the idea of establishing a baseline of expectations for an age group. They could then compare the results to other children across the nation, identifying deficiencies or problems. But it has lost its positive benefits for all involved.
What Went Wrong
Many schools must maintain certain test score averages in order to receive state funding and grants, or even just to receive “bragging rights” in their district. As such, many schools end up focusing on getting their students prepared to pass a test, forgetting that “passing” a test does not always mean the student has truly learned the material. Teachers spend so much time prepping students for tests that they lose valuable creative time and actual “teaching” time with children. Children can become so stressed over the test that they develop performance anxiety, which can result in bed wetting and nail biting (read more HERE). This is not healthy for children, and the stress reaction can actually hinder their ability to learn and retain material after the test is complete. When the big picture focus for a school is on test scores, the students lose, even if their test scores mean the school wins.
A New Approach
At Innovation Academy, we perform just one test per year, used by our staff to measure growth and areas of needed focus for our students. Our approach to the test process is also very different, in that the children are not specifically prepped for the test, or even understand the significance of it. For them it probably just feels like a normal day, where they get a fun opportunity to demonstrate all the great things they have learned. No stress. No anxiety. And to no surprise, all of our students out-perform their peers, scoring grades above the “standard” expectations. At Innovation Academy, we foster an environment of curiosity, exploration, and learning. This is just one more reason why we believe that Innovation Academy is the best las vegas elementary available! Did you know that we are also a food allergy safe campus?? CONTACT US to learn about this and more!
Learn more about Innovation Academy!
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