To: School Board of Alachua County, The Florida State House, The Florida State Senate, and Governor Ron DeSantis
Say NO to computer testing in K-2nd grades
We, the parents of elementary school children in the public school system, petition Florida Governor Rick Scott, Florida state legislators, and the School Board of Alachua County to stop using computer tests in K-2nd grades.
By signing this petition we want to show our governor, state legislators, and county board of education that we strongly oppose this practice of computerized testing and express our concern of the increasing numbers of standardized testing in our public schools.
Why is this important?
Besides taking inordinate amount of time to administer, computer testing of young children in K-2nd grades is inappropriate. These children do not have the developmental skills or physical abilities to type and use a mouse, which are needed to take a computer test. Nor do they have the attention span to take a 30 to 40 minute test on a computer. Children are exposed to stress and anxiety unnecessarily. Furthermore, children without computers at home are at a strong disadvantage, thus increasing the educational gap.
Results from computer tests do not assess a teacher’s ability to teach or improve our children’s education. Testing is necessary, but it should complement teaching and not hinder it. Computer-based tests only show which items were missed or correct, but they do not show why the student answered the way they did. When a paper/pencil test is given in a small group setting, the teacher can observe the students' thinking process, which is instrumental in guiding instruction for the students. In this setting, teachers can improve their performance or enhance specific teaching skills.