Are We Past the Point of Testing Being Useful?

As spring rolls around so does another episode of testing. I currently work at the High School level and for the entirety of my education and career we’ve always been building for some test or another. Then the powers that be would add an additional test at a different grade level to evaluate and it really has hurt the quality and depth of the education that students are receiving.

The COVID-era, if it did anything, forced us in a lot of areas of life to examine what we are doing and why those things are being done. For the first time in a long time, it seems as if common sense in educational areas is shining through. Two local universities (and I’d assume many others nationwide) are trying to forego entrance tests for incoming students. Akron and Kent State locally are at least openly exploring options to remove testing requirements for incoming students. I am really hopeful this is the beginning of an overhaul since the world we are preparing students for is ever-changing.