The New Benchmark: Children's Peak Experiences in Learning | Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
I think you get the idea. There is no mention of test results. Yet, right now, in the United States and elsewhere in the world, teachers are being evaluated, hired, fired, and paid, at least in part, on the basis of how well they are able to raise their students' test scores. Can you imagine anything more moronic? Everywhere these days, the education discourse is about "closing the gap" and "raising the bar." Well, let's do it then. But let's consider the "bar" the types of experiences described above. If a teacher can't create an environment where these types of peak experiences of learning in their students have an opportunity to emerge, then I don't care what their students' test scores are. I want all of us (parents, educators, and others who care about education) to raise a great hue and cry that these ecstastic experiences should be the standard upon which all good teaching (and parenting) should be measured. We've got to change the conversation, people. We need to stop moaning about test results, and start using the types of experiences described above as the basis for all future discourse about learning. If we really did this, we'd see a lot of very wonderful things start to happen in education within a very short time.