Editorial: Teaching to the test

Saturday, July 28, 2007 | 7:17 a.m.

Th ere was a time in American public education when schools generally set aside equal time for all courses. This was to ensure a well-rounded education.

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind law in 2002, however, "teaching to the test" has been gaining favor in schools throughout the country.

The result is a trend in elementary and middle schools to add more time to classes in math and reading, which are the subjects most emphasized under the federal law.

Poor results on standardized tests in these subjects saddle schools with a federal finding that they are not making "adequate yearly progress." Even though this triggers helpful remedial measures, the finding carries a stigma that schools want to avoid.

The 2006-07 results for Clark County schools were released Thursday, showing an 18 percent increase in the number achieving AYP or better.

Adding time to math and reading/writing instruction to achieve AYP, however, has forced many schools nationally to significantly reduce teaching time for other subjects, such as social studies, science, art and music.

This trend was confirmed in a study released Wednesday by the nonpartisan, Washington-based Center on Education Policy, which studied survey results from 349 urban, suburban and rural school districts.

A Chicago school official was probably summarizing the attitude at many districts when he candidly told the study's authors, "Our major focus is reading and math."

Some schools are attempting to mitigate the effects of such concentration by integrating other course work into math and reading classes. Students can learn history, for example, while learning their reading. But the study's authors were told by one California school official that, "It takes a pretty highly skilled teacher to be able to do that."

Our view is that although reading and math are highly important, students miss out when other courses are de-emphasized to achieve acceptable scores on standardized tests. Exposure to a full range of courses helps students discover where their skills and aptitude s lie, enabling them to realize their full potential.

One recommendation offered by the education center is to integrate other subjects into the standardized tests as students move through the grades. The center also suggested that states commission independent reviews every three years of the standardized tests their students are taking, to guard against rote learning. Also, it suggested that states find a way to ensure that art and music courses are not being neglected.

We agree with these recommendations. It may sound old - fashioned, but students in public schools should receive a well-rounded education .