Feb. 10, 2022, The Salt Lake Tribune ran an op-ed by Utah educator Alexia Jenson, career center coordinator at Mountain Crest High School, in Cache Valley, Utah. In the piece titled, “Alexia Jensen: Are We Using the Best Measurement for Student Success?,” Ms. Jenson discusses how important the YouScience Discovery aptitude assessment is in helping students find success after high school.
In the op-ed, Ms. Jenson writes, “In our current system, results, in this case a student’s grades, are the ultimate measurement of what a child is capable of. We teach our children how to be test-takers, rather than focus on the process of building and honing skills.”
While many of the standardized tests and programs in place in school in Utah and nationwide are believed to have helped increase literacy rates and decrease the number of students dropping out of high school, Ms. Jenson suggests that the rate that students are dropping out of college is increasing. The reason, she implies, is that schools and societies aren’t properly preparing students for college and careers.
Read the full op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune.