Two very different opinions about standardized tests ran this week in InsideSources.
One argued that testing is outdated and belongs to another era.
The other said testing still matters and can actually help the kids who need the most help.
As someone who’s been in the middle of Nevada’s education debates for years, I want to jump into that conversation.
And I’ll be honest up front: we are not big fans of high-stakes standardized testing.
Nevada already tests too much, too often, and too narrowly.
But we also know the issue isn’t as simple as throwing all tests in the trash or doubling down on the same old system.
Nevada kids deserve better than that.
The View That Testing Is Outdated
The first opinion piece said something a lot of parents agree with: the world has changed, but our schools haven’t.
Classrooms still look like they did 50 years ago.
Kids sit in rows. Teachers teach to the test. Schools panic every spring when the state exams roll around.
And after all that stress, we get a number on a spreadsheet that tells us very little about what a child can do in the real world.
Kids do need skills like problem-solving, collaboration and resilience — not just bubbles filled in on a scantron.
We want our young people to want to make a meaningful life, not chase a class rank.
Nevada ranks near the bottom in reading and math, even though the testing never stops – so it’s understandable when people say the entire model needs a reboot.
The View That Testing Helps Struggling Students
The second opinion piece pointed out something uncomfortable but important: when colleges went “test-optional,” it actually hurt low-income kids.
Studies from Harvard and Dartmouth found that when tests are removed, admissions officers rely more on essays and recommendations.
The author argues that those are things wealthy families can pay thousands of dollars for.
Meanwhile, a kid from a regular Nevada public school – especially in places like East Las Vegas, North Las Vegas or rural towns – loses one of the only objective tools that can prove they’re ready for college.
The article also highlighted research showing that good tests can help identify problems early and push schools to improve, and that kids who scored low in early grades benefited from knowing where they stood.
Nevada’s data shows huge gaps by zip code. Without some form of measurement, those gaps get hidden, not fixed.
So Where Should Nevada Go From Here?
Here’s the truth: Both sides have good points.
Yes, the current testing system is outdated. Yes, we put too much pressure on teachers and students. Yes, the results often feel disconnected from real learning.
But it’s also true that disadvantaged students shouldn’t lose an opportunity to further their education because the system throws away the only standard measure they have.
The real issue isn’t “test or no test.”
The real issue is control.
Right now, Nevada families have almost no control over where their kids go to school, how they are taught, or how their learning is measured.
We’re stuck in a system that punishes innovation and protects failure.
That’s why school choice matters more than any testing debate.
Give parents the power to pick the school that fits their child – public, charter, private, micro-school, homeschool, you name it – and the testing question becomes a tool, not a weapon.
Some schools will use project-based assessments. Some will use traditional exams. Some will use competency-based evaluations.
And families can decide what works for their kid.
Choice makes testing optional, not mandatory.
Choice respects different learning styles.
Choice encourages real accountability, because schools have to earn a family’s trust.
And for families in Nevada’s lowest-performing districts, choice offers something the current system never has: hope.
A Better Way Forward
Nevada doesn’t need more test prep worksheets or another round of political battles.
What we need is a system built around kids, not bureaucracies.
So yes, let’s rethink how we measure learning.
Let’s keep the good parts of testing and ditch the broken parts.
Let’s build schools that teach kids how to think, not how to take a test.
But let’s also give parents the freedom to choose the model that fits their child best.
A test can’t tell you whether a school works. Parents can.
When families see their kids learning and want to stay, that’s the real report card.
Too many Nevada parents never get that option. It’s time they did.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
