Mom: Achievement tests aren't accurate measures

Children have different styles of learning, the mother of eight says.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Phyllis Signor has mixed feelings about the effectiveness of state-mandated achievement testing of schoolchildren.
"I think it's important that they do well," said the greeter at Paul C. Bunn Elementary School. But she doesn't think the tests always give an accurate measure of a child's ability to learn.
"It's a necessary evil, I suppose," said her husband, the Rev. Scott Signor, associate pastor at New Beginning Assembly of God Church on Market Street. "We have to know where we're standing."
Ohio's achievement tests will be administered to children in grades three through eight the week of April 30 and the Signors' son, Nate, a fourth-grader at Bunn, will be taking reading, math and writing tests over a three-day period.
"There's such a stress on those tests," Phyllis Signor said. "Kids all have strengths. We need to find out what the strength is and draw it out of them."
Nate, for example, scored exceptionally well in the math test as a third-grader but just missed the proficiency mark by one point in reading.
The school has done a good job of helping pupils to prepare for the test, and the family works with Nate at home as well, Mrs. Signor said, but reading and writing aren't his strong points, although he did receive an honorable mention in the school's KidScripts writing competition at school.
They learn differently
The Signors have five children of their own and three foster children and know one important fact -- kids learn differently.
Mrs. Signor pointed out that an older son is an auditory learner who always had a difficult time taking a written test. Test him orally on what he's heard or learned and there's no problem, she said.
Nate has some of those same characteristics. For instance, as a tiny child, he watched an older brother playing the drums, and, at the age of 3, sat down at the drum set and just began to play.
"Drums are easy," he said.
He's never had a lesson but can hear a song once and reproduce the drumming, his mother said, adding that he frequently plays along with songs on the radio. He's even demonstrated his drumming skills on a local television program.
That style of hands-on and auditory learning ability isn't tested by the standardized written tests, she said.
Teachers almost have to teach to the test, said the Rev. Mr. Signor.
"I think they put too much credit on it," he said, adding that the children are under a lot of pressure to do well.
Paul C. Bunn is putting a lot of effort into getting its pupils ready to take the tests, and Nate said all of that support is encouraging him to do his best. He believes he'll do well on the reading test this year.
gwin@vindy.com