Although many dread the week of constant testing, students should take the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) tests more seriously, and work harder to prepare for them. Many high school students complain about being required to take the SBAC because it does not affect their college applications or grades in any way. However, there are many benefits to students taking the assessment seriously and doing their best work.
The most obvious reason for taking this assessment seriously is for personal integrity and cultivating a work ethic. A true test of one’s work ethic is whether they can complete a task without an immediate incentive, and purely for the sake of doing their duty by the task. When students practice cultivating this work ethic, for instance, by taking this assessment seriously, it will help them be more successful in all their endeavors because they will not be chasing external results but rather be innately curious and motivated to learn. For example, if they later take a class in which they aren’t getting good grades, they will still have the resilience to continue learning because they will have cultivated this work ethic and will be intrinsically motivated. In addition, personal integrity is vital to maintaining good self-esteem and to holding oneself to high standards.
Another reason students should do their best on for taking the SBAC testthis assessment seriously is that it helps teachers the school administration tailor the curriculum to fit students’ needs. If students are performing poorly on one section of the exam, it is an indication that then the school knows it needs to focus resources on improving the curriculum for that subject and determine how to meet students’ needs better. On the other hand, if many students are doing well on a different section of the test, it indicates that the school’s curriculum is strong in that area.
However, if students do not take the assessment seriously, then the test scores received on the assessment will not reflect the student’s actual abilities. As a result, the school would not be able to make determinations about whether its instructionteaching methods are working.satisfactory and thus is unable to serve its students as well as it would be able to otherwise. In this way, trying one’s best to perform well on the assessment improves student’s experience at school and enhances their learning.
Lastly, student performance on the SBACan important reason to take the assessment seriously is because it affects the state’s evaluation of schools. There is a minimum requirement for high schools to have at least 95% of their juniors take the SBAC. When this requirement is not met, each student who did not take the assessment receives the lowest possible score for the California Schools Dashboard evaluation. Students’ performance on the assessment, among many other factors, affects the school’s rating. If students do not try their best on the assessment, the overall rating and perception of the school, and thus the community, suffer. This is also detrimental to the community for the same reasons mentioned above. Whether a student opts out of the assessment or does not try their best to perform on it, they negatively affect the school and the city.
With the SBAC season just around the corner, it is imperative to keep these positives in mind despite the tiring testing conditions. In order to cultivate a good work ethic and maintain a sense of personal integrity and pride in their work, ensure that schools receive accurate feedback on their curriculum, and maintain the reputation of our their school, students should take the SBAC assessments more seriously and give their best effort towards them.
