wise words
ACT aspire
Testing for College Readiness
by Mary Scott Hunter
Every single year, we seem to have a big
debate right before testing time about
whether it is a good idea or not.
No one likes standardized tests. My kids don’t! But the truth is,
just like in life, tests are a necessary part of school. Sometimes
you just have to buck up and do hard things in spite of challenges
and this year is no different. Despite rumors to the contrary, the
ACT Aspire will be administered as planned. The best thing we
can do is to make sure that our children are prepared.
While I am the only member of the Alabama State Board of
Education who currently has children in public school taking the
ACT test, several of my colleagues have grandchildren. All of us
want a good test.
We have replaced the state’s previous end-of-year exam, the
Alabama Reading and Math Test, because we believed that the
ACT Aspire would more accurately tell us how our children are
learning in school. We wanted an assessment that would help
teachers identify students who need additional help to get on the
right track toward college and career readiness before it becomes
too late.
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Summer 2017
Regardless of what the State Board of Education decides in the
future about the ACT Aspire, there will be an end-of-year
assessment given to students to provide parents with feedback
on how our schools are preparing our children.
Earning an education in Alabama schools should mean
something, and tests help make sure we stay on track. Otherwise,
a diploma in Alabama will be nothing more than the equivalent
of a participation trophy in little league baseball.
We deserve more than that.
Mary Scott Hunter represents the 8th
District on the Alabama State Board of
Education. She and her husband Jon
live in Huntsville where their children
attend public school.
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