Action Research and State Testing

Unfortunately, today’s schools are rated almost exclusively on how the school performs on standardized tests.  The pressure to meet annual yearly progress (AYP) goals is a common thread of discussion for all teachers and administrators.  It doesn’t take long for anyone to look around and realize that there is no shortage of inquiry going on about school performance.  These scores are how schools are evaluated on the national, state and local levels.  It seems like most schools around the nation are currently working on a action research project to increase test scores in some way, shape, or form.  Studies such as this do have value.  They force schools to collect data and have an honest conversation about the state of student performance within their schools.  They allow administrators to see who is performing and who is not and in some cases they do shed light on things going on in the classroom.  However, I must admit that I personally believe the pendulum of research has swung far too much toward focusing on how to improve test scores. So much inquiry is being done on test scores that it seems like inquiry on instruction is being left behind.  The truth of the matter is that good instruction and good educators will produce good students.  Perhaps there should be more action research done on how accurately test scores reflect school performance?  I honestly think that research in that area will prove that our focus should return to instruction.  After all, if good instruction is left behind, all children will be left behind.