In tough times, should test go?

A legitimate criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act is its focus on reading and math skills, with some science thrown in, to the exclusion of history, geography and the other things necessary for a rich educational experience.

Children need to master vocabulary words and mathematical equations, but the real joy of learning lies not in a collection of factoids and formulas but in daily exposure to worlds, past and present, populated by interesting and inspiring men and women.

Virginia has won national accolades for maintaining the right balance of skill development and content learning in standardized tests. The Standards of Learning measure achievement in social sciences starting in grade three. The State Board of Education is considering a proposal to do away with the third grade history test, which would save $380,000 annually and free teachers to spend more time polishing literacy and math skills.

There are valid arguments in favor of the change, but they do not outweigh the danger that the test's elimination could start to unravel an important link between skill and content learning.

Schools are not exempt from the cost-cutting measures that have become a reality for every household, business and government in Virginia and the nation. Budget cuts facing state education leaders are unappealing, unpopular and unavoidable.

Another genuine concern is that 8-year-olds are overwhelmed by the four standardized tests they are currently required to take. While that sounds excessive, it's also true that 93 percent of third graders passed the history test last year. That's especially impressive because the 40 multiple-choice questions cover four years of learning, starting with material taught in kindergarten.

In a meeting with The Pilot's Editorial Board, Mark Emblidge, president of the education board, noted that students must still pass eight social studies tests in order to graduate from high school. He also offered reassurances that future fourth-graders won't be forced to recall five years of history lessons if the third grade test is nixed. The fourth grade test will continue to cover state history topics.

But if Emblidge and his colleagues conclude the third grade test must go, they need to first answer a few crucial questions.

First, how will the state ensure students are exposed to material now in the third grade test? Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln weren't Virginians, so they're unlikely to pop up in the state history test. Will students still learn about these important Americans? Will they learn the names of the world's continents and oceans?

Board members have instructed staff to revise the third grade reading test to incorporate those topics. But there's a difference between answering questions after reading several paragraphs about the Civil War and knowing who was president at that time. Is that really a meaningful substitute?

Finally, how much of the money saved by ending the third grade test will be used to revamp the reading test? If most of the savings is expended trying to crunch two tests into one, what benefit is that to the students, or to a pinched state budget?

This decision is being made at a time when this spring's slew of SOL tests is wrapping up. It would be easy for parents, teachers and students to shrug off the disappearance of just one test, perhaps even celebrate its departure. But it would be a mistake to discard even a small piece of Virginia's educational system until its value is thoroughly assessed.