Kevin J. Glynn, a teacher who founded Lace to the Top (those ever-present green laces and green bracelets that are meant to remind us that children are more than a test score)*, sends an exciting report from his school district on Long Island. The powers that be have abolished test prep!

Kevin writes:

The message to teachers changed today in the South Country School District, and tomorrow the actions will follow.  To the joy of students and their parents, there will be no test prep, at all, in any form.  In its place will be collaboration, imagination, inspiration, and love for the students in all third grade classes.  This is news because yesterday, the message to teachers was the same as in most other districts- prepare students with rigorous test prep.

South Country follows Lucy Calkin’s Units of Study.  This amazing, differentiated reading and writing program allows students to apply strategies within their independent levels. The one downfall of the program is that it dedicates a unit of reading and writing to test prep. I have communicated with Lucy Calkins and the the test prep unit exists to appeal to the districts that value and have requested a “test prep unit”. 

Yesterday, South Country School District gave teachers complete autonomy to replace the reading and writing test prep unit. The reading test prep unit was replaced with a study of genres absent of thoughtless multiple choice questions and built around questions that would encourage deeper level thinking & meaningful conversations. The writing test prep unit was replaced with blog responses to literature. Again, absent of the typical canned test prep and replaced by 21st century technology partnered with higher order questions. 

This is a step toward fully recognizing our kids are more than scores on ill-conceived tests that inhibit instruction and are designed to fail everyone in the school house and community.  In the words of South Country Assistant Superintendent Evers, “Test prep is a lie!”  Test prep neglects great teachers who know and love their kids and wastes talent, money, and our children’s only time they get as elementary school students.  Test prep does nothing of what it claims to do and in fact impedes the quest for quality education.

 Until now, the focus has been on outputs. South Country’s Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Giani has committed to supporting quality inputs that are focused on meeting students’ needs.  Test scores may not rise, but a love and foundation of learning has been secured. 

 

This is Kevin’s explanation of “Lace to the Top”:

We did not put green laces in our shoes, green looms on our wrists, and green lanyards around our necks because we hoped we would win. We put them on as a bold and impossible to ignore reminder of why we will win. We will win for our children, our schools, our teachers, and our communities. When we win, students will know they mean more than a score, parents will know that their rights mean more than the Core, and teachers will be allowed to be more than a scripted module. Kings are falling, politicians are scrambling, and corporations are worrying. 

Wear your green knowing that children will be happier and their education will be stronger because of your commitment to their future. 

As one.