Teacher perceptions of the effects of Minnesota Basic Standards tests on curriculum and instruction

Abstract

Mandatory graduation tests seem to an inevitable reality of the future for many students as government and school officials look to schools to be more accountable for what students are learning. Many states, like Minnesota, have already begun to require some type of minimum competency test as a part of the graduation requirements. Minnesota’s graduation requirements consist of two components. The Basic Standards consist of reading and math tests first administered in eighth grade, and a writing test administered in tenth grade. The second component of Minnesota’s graduation requirements, the High Standards, is required for all students in the class of 2002 and beyond (Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning, 1998). The High Standards consist of forty-eight standards in ten learning areas and students must complete twenty-four of the standards in order to graduate. All of these new requirements for graduation have the potential to affect the way students are taught in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not teachers believe changes have been made in the curriculum and teaching methods used in the classroom since the implementation of the Minnesota Basic Standards Tests as a requirement for graduation. All high school and junior high school teachers in District 834 were surveyed using the Survey of Teacher Perceptions Regarding the Effects of the Minnesota Basic Standards Tests. The survey consisted of six statements that the subjects rated using a five-point Likert Scale. Surveys were distributed to teacher mailboxes. Sixty-three teachers responded. Almost two-thirds of the subjects in this study believed the curriculum had been narrowed since the implementation of the Minnesota Basic Standards Test. Fifty-four percent of the subjects believed the curriculum had been strengthened in some way, while 45.2% did not believe it was strengthened. One interesting finding of the present study was that, while 71% of respondents at least somewhat agree that teachers have less control over the curriculum, almost 94% believe that teachers are allowed to use their own judgment to plan how lessons will be used to meet basic standards. While it does appear that some level of “teaching to the test” may be occurring, the teachers in this sample do not seem to feel powerless in the changes that have been made. Recommendations for future research include surveying a larger sample of teachers and including individual interviews in the research process.