Standardized Tests vs. Arts and Culture

If you are involved in education in Michigan, or have a child in school here, then you have probably heard about the chaos involved with testing this year. It is been a stressful time for teachers, students, and parents as the state has prepared for the new tests. But has anyone considered how this would affect museums and the relationships that our local students have with them?

Background Information
It was decided last summer that Michigan students would not take the Smarter Balanced test that was replacing the MEAP and MME tests this spring. This sudden change in plans meant that all new tests had to be developed in just a few months, when it usually takes a few years. Of course, this has put some stress on everyone involved as teachers tried to prep their students for an unknown test. Some parents are even opting out of the testing for their children because they are concerned that it will not be a quality assessment. This has been a huge controversy over the past year. Now, it is testing time. There is an 8-week span this spring in which students in various grade levels are taking the new tests called MSTEP. (A fellow educator recently referred to it lovingly as the MissSTEP.)

...So, museums are being affected?
YES! I made this connection last week while at work. My museum hosts hundreds of students each day on field trips during this time of the year. Admission and bus trips to the museum are free for local schools, so we have an incredible number of teachers take advantage of the opportunity. Teachers did not know their testing schedules until right before they were required to administer the exams. This means that hundreds of students have missed their opportunity to visit the museum on a field trip. Teachers have been so stressed about the impending tests that they forget to call and cancel or reschedule their trip. This has caused some problems as we scramble to figure out where our missing field trip is - are they lost? Did their bus break down? Oh, they are just filling in bubbles on the MSTEP all day, not to worry.

But I am worried. For some of these students, this may be their only chance to visit a world class art museum. To experience beauty and history in this capacity. To learn critical thinking skills and appropriate museum behavior. Teachers do a wonderful job of helping students to discover the arts and learn about culture, but having access to a museum with tangible artifacts makes an incredible difference in the way that students experience these ideas. Instead of going on a tour of the museum, our kids are tapping away at a keyboard or using their No. 2 pencils to answer test questions that likely will not count for anything this year.

I sincerely hope that these issues with standardized testing can be resolved soon. It would be a shame for students to lose out on opportunities to experience arts and culture field trips year after year due to this poor planning. Students and Teachers, I look forward to seeing your at the museum soon!