Standardized testing takes far too much time away from instruction, preventing students from developing well-rounded skills and a love for learning. Standardized testing takes away the opportunity for students to learn about art, music, technology, finance, health and physical education—subjects that keep kids engaged and give them a well-rounded education.

And it’s not just the tests themselves – hours upon hours of test prep, practice tests, field trials and even “pretend tests” to check testing technology results in fewer class projects, less field trips and more and more stressed out and burned out students. We cannot continue the practice of testing to get ready for testing to get ready for testing in Wicomico County.

Wicomico County educators know that too much standardized testing doesn’t help their students do better in school – or in life. They also understand that it is the county testing that is most intrusive to the learning process. Our recent survey (see graph) shows Wicomico County testing far exceeds State mandated testing. And it is costing a lot of taxpayer dollars that could be better spent reducing class size.