This summer, I found myself sitting on hot metal bleachers during a baseball practice, talking with a father about his son, Mark.
Mark had previously participated in MERLIN and was preparing to begin his junior year of college. As a child, he worked tirelessly. He studied every night, played an instrument, earned straight A's, attended daily tennis lessons, and spent countless hours preparing for the CogAT, SAT, and ACT. It didn't seem to matter that he rarely spent time with friends or had many opportunities to simply be a kid. He was focused on preparing for the future. He was smart, determined, successful, and, by many measures, a winner.
And for a while, it appeared that all of that hard work had paid off.
Mark earned a full-ride Division I tennis scholarship to a prestigious university. Following his father's guidance, he chose to major in computer science, believing it would provide financial security and a successful career. He was doing everything he had been told would lead to a fulfilling life.
Except it didn't really work.
After last semester, Mark found himself deeply unhappy. In fact, he was struggling so much that he decided not to return to college this fall. He spent most of his time isolated in his room, withdrew from friends, and lost interest in work and daily activities. Most concerning of all, he began experiencing suicidal thoughts.
When his parents asked what was wrong, Mark shared that he no longer saw the point of life. The pressure he felt had become overwhelming. He wasn't performing at the level he expected on the tennis court, and he had realized he didn't enjoy studying computer science. For the first time in his life, he wasn't the top student or the top athlete. Without those accomplishments, he didn't know who he was.
Every parent wants what is best for their child. We want our children to be kind, successful, hardworking, secure, and confident. We want them to reach their potential and have opportunities that will help them thrive. However, in our efforts to help our children succeed, we can sometimes unintentionally place so much pressure on them that it has the opposite effect.
When children begin to believe that their worth is tied to their achievements, they may struggle when they inevitably encounter challenges, setbacks, or situations where they are no longer the best. Excessive pressure can contribute to anxiety, depression, burnout, and an unhealthy relationship with learning and achievement.
I sometimes see glimpses of this dynamic during testing season in elementary school. Students walk into CogAT and i-Ready testing sessions so nervous that they cry, feel sick, or have difficulty breathing. They worry that a test score will define who they are or determine their future.
This is especially concerning because the CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) is not designed to measure effort, preparation, or mastery of specific academic content. Rather, it provides information about a student's reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Schools use the assessment to better understand how a child thinks and learns, and often as one piece of the gifted identification process.
No test, score, or achievement can capture the full value of a child. Our ultimate goal should not be raising children who are perfect. It should be raising children who are resilient, curious, balanced, and confident in who they are, regardless of the results on a test, a court, or a report card.
Why extensive test preparation can be detrimental
1. It can distort the purpose of the assessment.
The CogAT is intended to provide information about a student's current reasoning abilities. If a child has been heavily coached on specific question types, the scores may reflect familiarity with the test format rather than their natural reasoning strengths and needs.
2. It may create unnecessary anxiety.
When children are told they need to study extensively for an assessment, they may begin to view it as a high-stakes test. This can increase pressure, particularly for gifted students who may already struggle with perfectionism and fear of failure.
3. It can lead to inaccurate instructional decisions.
Schools use CogAT results to help determine appropriate levels of challenge and support. If scores are artificially inflated through intensive coaching, educators may receive a less accurate picture of how a student naturally approaches verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning tasks. They are placed in MERLIN and SAGE but the work isn't catered to their needs and can be frustrating.
4. It sends the message that intelligence is something to "perform."
One of our goals as educators is to help students develop a growth mindset. When too much emphasis is placed on preparing for a cognitive assessment, children may begin to believe that their value comes from achieving a particular score rather than developing their abilities through learning and effort.
What is appropriate?
Rather than "studying" for the CogAT, it can be helpful for students to:
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Eat a healthy breakfast.
- Arrive relaxed and confident.
- Understand basic test-taking directions.
- Practice staying focused and persevering through challenging questions.
- Engage regularly in activities that develop reasoning skills, such as puzzles, logic games, reading, and problem-solving tasks.
No comments:
Post a Comment