Maybe the child had a headache that day, or maybe the child was distracted. I tell parents what I see in a child's everyday performance. Experts say report cards, portfolios, a collection of a student's work throughout a course or class year, and athletic or artistic talents also should be taken into consideration. Many parents and teachers believe too much emphasis is placed on test scores. Nearly 30 percent of the teachers surveyed for Education Week, a national journal, said they use state practice tests or commercial test-preparation materials a great deal to ready students for state exams.
Some parents invest in testing materials to help their children do well.
Once geared toward college applicants, test-preparation companies now also target the youngest schoolchildren. We provide basic information about the exam so parents can talk to a school about their child's performance and what it means. Schools can cash in Schools up and down the state are ranked based on their Stanford 9 scores. And school superintendents, principals and even teachers are often judged by a student's success or failure on the exam. Van Aken doesn't motivate her students to do well on the Stanford 9 with the promise of more money for the school.