My educational opinions have vastly changed in the last two years. Having earned a bachelor’s degree in education and having taught middle school, high school, and university students, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

When it came to standardized tests, I did not see a point in them when I took them or when I gave them.

As a teacher, I knew my students’ strengths and weaknesses and would have preferred the time to just focus on improving those skills rather than spending a week taking a test. Of course, I still gave the tests, but I did not value the standardized tests.

As a parent, I am so thankful for these tests. My son took his first standardized test this year and scored at the high end of average all the way to the 99% (the highest reported). Most of his scores were above grade level and proved that he has received an excellent education.

On the other hand, my daughter was not given a standardized test at school. As we are no longer affiliated with a school, we were able to have her independently tested.

Though she received all excellent (above-average) and satisfactory (average) grades throughout kindergarten and first grade, her standardized test revealed that she is below average.

Verifying what we already knew was true, the standardized test gives us a point of common ground as we progress forward with homeschooling this fall. I am definitely valuing standardized tests and look forward to seeing how much she improves this year.

If you, like me, never saw a need for standardized tests, then be grateful. I definitely have changed my position and am valuing standardized tests from now on. Happy valuing!

Question: What topic have you changed your position on recently?