Understanding Data
Student Achievement › Testing
Photo courtesy of Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE),
Shea Senior High School.
Test results hold everyone accountable for their role in educating children.
Educators, students, public officials, parents, and tax payers are collectively responsible for the quality of public education. Schools are one part of a larger context in which children learn and grow. But while success takes many forms, the job of schools is to make sure students have the skills — both academic and life skills — to be successful in the world of work. So standardized tests give us images of both the quality of the school itself and how well the community supports the schools. Tests are the main way the public can monitor large investments of tax dollars intended to ensure all children can lead productive lives.
Test results also help the public oversee and continuously improve the quality of the state’s emerging workforce.