FAMILY MATTERS
School tests don't measure what really matters in life

By Ka'ohua Lucas

I have never been a good test-taker.

In high school and even in college, I would sit for hours and study. But my test results were mediocre, to say the least.

My 13-year-old is the opposite. Hand him a fill-in-the-bubble answer sheet, and he's on fire.

He absorbs information easily and can regurgitate it readily.

Does he study? Rarely.

When grilled by me, his response is: "Why should I, Mom, when I already know the material?"

It makes sense.

What's really irritating (in the view of someone who doesn't do well in test situations) is that his grades are high. His SAT scores are high, too.

Don't get me wrong. I am not an advocate of standardized testing.

In fact, I do not believe these tests are good indicators of how well my child will do in college. Nor is it a measurement of how successful he will be as an adult.

If at any moment in your later life you so much as mention your SAT scores in conversation, you will be considered a total jerk, David Brooks from the New York Times writes.

If at age 40 you are still proud of your scores, you may want to contemplate a major life makeover.

Society has placed such an emphasis on standardized testing. But in the real world, regurgitating what superiors want to hear will only move you halfway up the ladder.

It's the other stuff that matters, the stuff that SAT scores can't measure — such as integrity, perseverance, imagination and trustworthiness.

When our daughter ventured off to college three years ago, her SAT scores were considered average. But she chose a nontraditional college that would embrace her passion.

"I have the opportunity and freedom to study my own passion," she writes.

"Not only do I gain knowledge, but knowledge that I can apply to real-life situations. These are all opportunities that provide me with the experience and tools I need to be successful when I graduate."

My husband, like my son, is an exceptional test taker. He can regurgitate information at the snap of a finger.

I asked his opinion about standardized testing.

"The SATs are not a measure of anything worthwhile in this life. Anybody who obsesses over it is a fool!" he said with conviction.

At this very moment, high school seniors (and parents) are in the full panic mode. Letters of acceptance and/or rejection are pouring in from various colleges.

Remember, these letters are not particularly important.

Picking a college is like picking a spouse. You don't pick the top-ranked one, because that has no meaning, writes Brooks. You pick the one with the personality and character that complement your own. And the college you believe will embrace your passion!

Reach Ka'ohua Lucas at Family Matters, 'Ohana section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; fax 525-8055; or ohana@honoluluadvertiser.com.