Chasing Proficiency: Navigating the Challenges of SBAC and Embracing Student Agency
By: Yuqi Yang, EC Oakland Cohort 5 Fellow
In today’s education system, a well organized classroom requires collaboration between both students and the teachers. A classroom will not be able to operate without an operator yet it also depends on the motivation of peers to function. However despite meeting the established criteria, test scores continue to fall short of the expected proficiency standards.
The Gap
SBAC refers to Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium which measures how well students understand and apply those skills by state standards through literacy and mathematical testing. Although it may be expected as basic knowledge, through various data provided on Oakland-based High School Juniors from 2021–2022, 67.7% of the student population have not met the standard mathematical performance level. While test scores are based on personal understanding of the topic, data have also illustrated that ethnic and racial background plays a large role in the percentage of proficiency.
As a Junior in High School and part of the Asian-American community I’m often expected to accomplish set goals and live in the expectations built by stereotypes. With SBAC being the upcoming exam to prove my excellence, I’m once again roped into becoming a model for our people. While looking at the average numbers of Asian individuals being state approved, this made me worry if I even qualify to include myself within the categorized performance.
Grades Vs. Proficiency
Grades have always dictated my life and my daily morning routines began with checking Powerschool to see if my grades have dropped. I found myself grappling with academic validation, increasing my detachment from enjoying genuine learning. And this has caused me to wonder, do grades really determine a student’s level of understanding? Education significantly influences the development of young generations, and grades are an important aspect to track progress and comprehension. However, what students earn on weekly quizzes and tests does not necessarily capture their understanding of a subject. Having good grades does not necessarily equal proficiency.
Teacher Accountability
Different students conduct ways of strategizing and learning, and some examples include visual learners, kinesthetic learning, and collaborative learning. It’s impossible to expect all students to react to a topic in the same way. This is where differentiated instruction could support young adults, by allowing the tailor of lessons to meet each student’s individual needs, strengths, and interests. Teachers must provide alternate options to truly master the content being taught.
Student Agency
Despite the teacher’s willingness to perform adequately, students still have the potential to demonstrate mastery when they invest effort to achieve their goals. As technology advances, the internet has evolved to offer today’s youth with a vast number of online resources. Young adults could utilize this enhancement to research free online study websites, or even watch videos on subjects they might be stuck on. Remember, this is not the end of the road, so keep on persevering until the destination is reached.
