Now that the Standards of Learning Tests (SOLs for short) are upon us, I feel that it is time to voice my opinion regarding the SOLs. I am not familiar with all of the SOLs, but I do know that every student has to pass multiple SOLs throughout their time in school. I also know that a student has to take and pass a set number of SOL classes just to pass high school, and the number needed to pass has more to do with the grouping of the SOL tests than just passing the SOL tests in general. To just about every student, an SOL is very nerve-racking test that they just have to pass. Students prepare for the SOL an entire semester, or in some cases an entire year, making it a test that just about every student is anxious for. There are several problems I see that are associated with SOL testing: it does not promote long-term memory, just short term; it limits the teachers of these subjects to stick to just the knowledge that students have to know for the SOL,thus limiting the students' knowledge; it does not inspire students to excel, just to pass; and it is not a true test of the intelligence.
The first problem I see with SOL testing is that it does not promote long-term memory. Readers, think back to SOL tests that you may have taken in the past. Do you really remember a sufficient amount of information about the subject matter? I personally do not remember most of the knowledge I learned associated with SOLs, which probably has a lot to do with my studying habits, but it also has to do with the fact that for the SOL, the knowledge only needs to be remembered for the test. Think about how many times that you "crammed" for an SOL, because you worried about passing it, and then weeks later you have no recollection of the subject. The SOL may promote short-term memory, but the truth is most of what you learn in an SOL class is rarely remembered later in life.
Another problem I see with the SOL is that it limits what teachers can teach their students. Think about how many SOL classes you have taken and how many times a teacher has skipped a section in the book saying: "You don't need to know that for the SOL." Now, not every single teacher will decide to skip information not relevant to the SOLs, but most will skip over non-SOL information because they really have no choice. With the time limit of the semester, most SOL teachers will choose to focus on only the subject matter students will be tested on. Teachers are evaluated by how many students they get to pass the SOL. In short, anything that is not on the SOL is not taught because there is not enough time, and thus the students are limited.
The next problem I see with the SOL is that it does not promote students to excel in the subjects that they are taught. There are a few students who do choose to aim for scores higher than what is required of them in SOL classes, but most of the students are just focused on passing and are content with that. This problem is not just the result of having an SOL test, it is also the result of students being complacent with where they are at, but the SOL test does not at all promote students to try to go above and beyond where they are at academically. The SOL does offer an area for "advanced" scores, but most students do not try to reach this goal; they just want to pass and that is enough for them. Overall, most students just focus on scoring a passing score because that is all that is expected of them.
The final problem I see with the SOL is that it is not a true test of a student's intelligence. The SOL has mostly multiple choice answers, which makes it easier for students to pass, but also opens a door of uncertainty on how much knowledge a students has in one subject. Lately, online testing has been able to change that to an extent, but the vast majority of the test is still multiple choice. As a student, I personally find multiple answers tests to be easier, as you do not need to simply recall answers from memory as in open answer questions, the answer will always be one of the answers in front of you, and looking at the answer may help you to remember it. Looking at this from an unbiased perspective, multiple choice testing is very unreliable as it is possible to pass by just guessing answers. However unlikely it is, is still possible.
Finally, I will give you my opinion on what the solution should be for testing and evaluating students. My opinion is that the end of the year tests should be left in the hands of the teacher teaching the subject. Now this could be troublesome in some cases, as the teacher may be a new teacher or may be exhausted by the end of the semester. Either of these factors may cause teachers to produce a test that is ineffective at evaluating their students. My answer to this problem is that the administration should have to look at and approve exams produced by teachers. I also believe that these exams should change every year, so the test does not become overused. The teacher could tailor their test each year to meet the level of difficulty for their class. They could find a balance for each particular class, so tests would not be to hard or too easy for the students at hand. In closing, I believe that SOL testing should simply not exist and that every final exam should be left to the hands of the teachers.