This morning I belatedly opened an email from my son’s middle school, which last week asked parents to donate items for “treat bags” for the 6th graders taking our district’s standardized tests.
Here’s what volunteers were asked to bring: Goldfish, Blow Pops, peppermint candies, Hershey’s kisses, bite-size Snickers, 100-calorie packs of cookies, Starburst candies, clementines and cheese sticks. (Hmm. What do you think the ratio of clementine-to-Blow-Pop-consumption will be among most sixth graders?)
Although the email wasn’t clear about the purpose, I’m pretty sure these treat bags are being handed out not so much to reward kids for taking the test as to make sure they’re awake for the test itself. I’m inferring this from the fact that peppermint candies are included in the bags; you might remember that one of the events that led me to pound out my “Food-in-the-Classroom” manifesto in 2012 was my son’s elementary school giving every kid peppermint candies and juice pouches on standardized testing days based on a theory that peppermint makes kids more alert for exams.
People, everything about this episode saddens me: That public schools now live or die based on standardized test results, so they will do anything to boost scores. That kids are being taught that when they need to be at peak mental performance, they should load up mostly on refined sugar. Or, if I’ve misinterpreted what’s going on here and these bags really are an after-test “treat,” that we’re using not just food as a reward (already considered a bad idea by leading medical organizations) but the worst junk food to boot.
Does your public school hand out food on standardized testing days? Are the offerings in line with my son’s middle school’s? Let me know what’s going on at your school in a comment below.
Do You Love The Lunch Tray? ♥♥♥ Then “like” The Lunch Tray! Join almost 8,000 TLT fans by liking TLT’s Facebook page (and then adding it to your news feed or interest lists) to get your Lunch delivered, along with bonus commentary, interesting kid-and-food links, and stimulating discussion with other readers. You can also join almost 5,000 TLT followers on Twitter, see my virtual bulletin boards on Pinterest and find selected TLT posts on The Huffington Post. And be sure to check out my free video for kids about processed food, “Mr. Zee’s Apple Factory!”
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2014 Bettina Elias Siegel
Casey says
I haven’t seen a request for treat bags like that but the teachers usually give out peppermints and Cheetos. That was one of the reasons I started my desperation strategy to pay my kids when they say no thank you to the offers of junk food and food as a reward. As far as the over the top emphasis on testing, I was shocked to see a helicopter land at school one year to deliver the score results.
robin says
Yep, both the elementary and middle school gave out peppermint and other treats before, during and after the tests last week. I have pretty much given up in trying to change the culture of food in the classroom. Sad but true. I couldn’t seem to make a difference.
Sara says
Agreed. What kills me is when I get notes home requesting that I make sure my child gets enough sleep and eats a healthy breakfast on test days. Then they request that I only send in a healthy snack as well. Why? so they can feel OK giving him cupcakes on the other days? Consistency is all I ask for….healthy snacks while they test, then a big cupcake party at the end!! Killing me.
Sally Kuzemchak says
You sum up my feelings exactly with this statement: “People, everything about this episode saddens me.” I’m sad about bags of candy but even sadder about the larger issue of the enormous role standardized testing has taken in education. There are several layers of wrong going on at once. 🙁
Jenny says
It all really is depressing on multiple fronts. STARR has everybody down this year, it seems….
Ellen says
Have not had any requests for treats, healthy or otherwise.
Will have to ask my daughter, a 7th grader. I
I do know that pixie sticks and like candies are banned as
students decided that snorting them made sense! Apparently, nutritional value is a secondary concern.
Renee says
My child does not tolerate artificial color, so almost everything in the “treat bag” would be off limits for him. Surely, being deprived of the treat everyone else is getting will help his anxiety on a test day, right? What about kids who have diabetes? gluten intolerance? nut, egg, diary, etc. allergies? If there must be a treat, how about asking parents to send one in their kid’s backpack. That way everyone can have a treat/snack for testing.
This complaint applies to anything teachers give out, but the real problem is the insane emphasis on these ridiculous tests. Excerpt from an article in my kid’s school newsletter:
“As STAAR testing is in full swing and many students and parents are having pre-test stress, please remember the following: Be sure your student gets a good night’s rest the evening before testing and send her/him to school with a smile. Also remember the words that served the British people so well through the World War II. KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.”
Did my kid’s school newsletter really just compare standardized testing with surviving the Blitz? Are they admitting STAAR and its ilk are evil and traumatizing?
Susan says
Yes. It is. And yes, they are. Do you honestly think that there are even 10% of teachers who think standardized testing is positive? It likens to child abuse. When the only break that some students receive on the day of the test is their 25 minute lunch break?
Stephanie says
As a pk3-7th grade we have a lot of kids taking the STAAR. Last week we put out bowls of clementines and a dispenser of cool water by the older kids restrooms. This way they could grab one during a break if needed. Ironically, we had some Foodservices people on campus that day. I mentioned that if not always, lunch menus during the month of April should have low carb, high protein meals. Offerings of roasted chicken, fresh veggies, etc. forget the “better-for-you” carnival foods but real foods that boost brain power. And healthy snacks should always be offered as well. Forget the scooby-do cookies, cheezits and juice boxes!
Brenna Wilson says
This is a sad turn of events. These treats they are giving do more than good to our kids and what’s worse is, the schools are ok with it. This opened up my eyes to what our society and learning system have become and it’s not good.
Maggie says
In the district I work for, we (food service department) provide free breakfast for every child on the day that their grade level is testing. For example, on the days that 3rd grade is testing, all 3rd graders can have a free breakfast.
In the building I work in, we provide the breakfasts in the classrooms, since our cafeteria is also the secondary gym and is in use for classes once the school day starts. Our regular breakfast, served before the school day starts, is served in the cafeteria.
This does limit what we can do. We could provide greater variety for the test day breakfasts if we could serve in the cafeteria. The menu for the free test day breakfast is cereal, skim milk, juice and a cracker type item such as teddy grahams.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Maggie: I do understand the importance of a good breakfast before testing — and before every day of school, ideally. Thanks for letting us know what’s going on in your district.
Emily Wells says
My kids’ school has never sent a request for goodie bag items (for testing days or otherwise). I’d be okay with it as long as it was a rare treat, and not something that was done on a regular basis.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Thanks to all for your input on this post!
M.A. says
My daughter’s elementary school does this as well for the 3rd-5th graders. The younger kids who don’t take the test are asked to be test “buddies” and give candy and other treats to the older kids (teachers and/or parents buy the treats).
So not only are the test takers getting the bad message about junk food but the kindergarteners through second graders as well.
I really don’t understand how anyone can think this is a good idea.
We didn’t get treats when we took tests when I was a kid. I would guess kids do better if receive no treats or given something nutritious if hungry before the test.
It all makes me very sad. I complain but everyone else in the school thinks it is just treats in moderation. Moderation is always the excuse I get for every treat in school. In reality, the kids are being given junk food in abundance and healthy food in moderation or not at all (at least for school snacks, treats, rewards).
No one can be surprised then when the kids grow up only wanting to eat unhealthy foods. When children are young is our chance to teach them healthy habits and get them craving nutritious foods and as society we are blowing our opportunity big time 🙁
SK says
As a teacher, I was really pleased that my elementary school in HISD provided the students with little baggies of cheese cubes. It looked like something the cafeteria workers cut up and bagged themselves. It’s nice to see the kids getting something other than pre-packaged, processed snacks from the school. It’s a four-hour test, so I think the snacks are really important for the kids so they don’t get too hungry.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
SK: This is interesting to hear! I’d love to know what goes on around our district when it comes to testing and snacks. I really only have information about the two HISD schools my own kids attend. Thank you for commenting here.
Susan says
Oh, testing snacks. Yes. Guilty, I am. But then again, I tend to fall into the extrinsic-until-it-becomes-intrinsic method of motivation. For instance, my son is going through potty training for the fifth–or is it sixth?–time. I tried all of the intrinsic motivators. They didn’t work. I started to give him an M&M each time he did “#1” in the potty. That started to work. Over time, he did not even ask for them anymore. I will say this. As a teacher in a Title I school (whose parents will not supply healthy treats for their little ones, by the way), I tried to give my students that I tested a small treat every day during testing. I live in the South, and, in my family at least, food shows you care. And since my idea of a pep rally for testing was eschewed (shot down in an epic-fail-fire-ball-of…well…not glory), I wanted to make my students that I tested feel special. I made a word search with each of their names from puzzlemaker on Discovery Education. I made a bulletin board outside my room with their names in stars. And, yes, I gave them treats everyday. Pop Rocks to “rock” the test (about a teaspoon’s worth). Gum to “chews” the best answers on the test. Starlight peppermints for a bit of “encourage-mint” on the test. I also gave them fruit and other healthy snacks. I’m rapidly becoming of the belief that if you “vilify” a food it gives it too much of a taboo, forbidden, exciting quality. No, possibly not founded by research but by personal observation. I want my students to feel special and cared for on that week when, let’s face it, the state departments of education are using them as lab rats and sociology experiments and victims of child abuse.
Diana says
Susan, it sounds like you truly want the best for your students, but please consider a few thoughts on your actions.
For your students, you are using treats as a motivator, not as a reward. There is no way candy is going to make kids do better or feel better about taking a standardized test. However, healthy food given before the test may actually help them do better and increase their stamina. Also, I feel all the hoopla, including “pep-rallies”, lucky charms, lucky shirts, etc…is unnecessary and only tells the children they need “luck” to take a test. I feel educators should pass along the confidence of “you know this material because I have taught you well and you have learned it well”. If schools want to reward kids, I suggest a “field day” after the standardized testing is over to reward the poor kids for having to sit and be quiet for so long!
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Susan: Your care and concern for your students is palpable from this comment and they’re really lucky to have such a devoted teacher. It’s wonderful that you want to make them feel special, particularly during the awful week(s) of standardized testing. (We’re in the midst of it right now in Houston – ugh.) And I realize that a teaspoon of Pop Rocks or a piece of gum is not the end of the world, or even close! 🙂
But I just want to raise the issue that when you give food to students, you’re stepping outside the role of teacher and crossing into what is traditionally the domain of parents and/or the cafeteria. In other words, unless a lesson is about food per se, most parents don’t expect teachers to be feeding their children at all. And while some parents might be 100% on board with your philosophy about food and taboos, others might feel strongly that they don’t want their kids eating Pop Rocks, etc., for a variety of reasons: concern over food allergies, food dyes, sugar content, an existing obesity problem with the child, a desire to generally avoid artificial ingredients, even religious reasons if a family observes religious dietary laws. And then there’s the bigger issue of whether we set children up for larger problems when we use any food (junk food or not) as a reward. Many leading medical organizations specifically counsel against this practice. (See this post and the “white paper” linked within.)
I’m just wondering if the other great things you did — the word searches, the bulletin board with names, etc. — might not have been enough to make the kids feel special and cared for? Or if the school couldn’t supplement those ideas with something non-food related like getting to each lunch outside, or extra recess, or a free dress day (assuming you have school uniforms), etc.?
Please know that I hold teachers in the highest esteem and I’m not trying to second-guess your judgment. Just raising these ideas to get your candid thoughts about them. And thank you for commenting here.
Rachel says
I agree that I really don’t expect or want teachers to give my children food. We have chosen not to feed our kids refined sugar, food coloring, preservatives, etc. In addition, at least two of my kids have food sensitivities as proven by blood tests. Candy and sugary foods are NOT going to help my kids concentrate or do well on a test. I can PROMISE it will do the opposite. For starters, just research the effects of food dyes on children and you will understand why they are shunned by organizations that try to help children with ADD/ADHD and other neurological disorders. The sugar may give them more energy briefly, but energy is not what they need for a test. They need a clear mind. If students are given candy, once the sugar wears off they will “crash” and possibly become shaky as their blood sugar plummets.
Having said that, I’m thankful that the schools my children have attended have specifically requested donations of HEALTHY snacks for the kids during state testing. They serve things like carrot sticks, raisins, trail mix, granola bars, whole grain crackers/cereal, string cheese, clementines, apple slices, bananas, etc. My kids cannot eat some of these things due to the food sensitives, but I always provide a similar alternative they are able to eat.
Honestly, what bugs me is that parents even need to be told to feed their child a good breakfast and eat healthy snacks on the days of testing. Parents WAKE UP! It’s our job to do that for our family each any every day, for their health and success in life — not just on the days when it financially benefits the school for our kids to be alert.
Personally, I grow weary of teachers giving students candy as a reward. I don’t want my kids to feel like they missed out, so I provide a bag of treats that the teacher puts it in his/her cupboard for the times when all the other kids are having some other kind of treat/reward. I understand there are times when treats are served for a birthday party, which the teacher is not directly orchestrating, but I do wish teachers could provide more rewards that are not based on sweets. Just my ridiculous opinion.
Suze says
Trust me, the teachers are well aware of any food allergies of the children in their classrooms and they fully respect that — please give them (Susan) more credit for that, at least.
And, how about the child’s emotional demeanor during testing? Do you not think an extra special “treat” such as getting something to eat in the classroom doesn’t feel like a special occasion? I remember, myself, going through grade-school testing. Anything out of the ‘norm’ like having a special snack, would give me motivation to endure the testing just a bit more…so I don’t think bashing the whole idea of snacks during testing is necessary. Junk food, ok, let’s substitute with healthier choices. But to me, the snacks tell the kids, “Hey, I understand this is hard on you. So maybe this snack will help you through it.” What is so bad about that? I applaud the teachers for all that they do for the kids during testing. My son’s teacher has asked for “genius water” (small bottles of water), and other such things that are mostly healthy, but not all, and I am fine with all of it. Our school district does not allow food to be brought in for holiday parties (not even Halloween)….their goody bags can have knick-knacks, stickers, etc., but no candy or edible items. So, thankfully, promoting junk food is not a problem in our area — which is why a couple of junky snacks during testing is not going to hurt anything. Besides, they might get two snacks per day, plus the water, so how could that hurt anything? Relax, folks…… A few days of being ‘treated’ at school is not going to spoil your healthy eating efforts. And no, it is NOT so the school’s scores to be higher….. again, give the teachers more credit. They (at least my son’s teacher, anyway) truly cares about these kids and wants to prevent frustration and stress over the lengthy testing schedule. Again, how can you argue about that? I know the bottom line is we all care about our kids, but you can’t please everybody, and stress on the kid is the biggest thing we are trying to avoid. Thanks for taking the time to read this………. 🙂
Baxter says
My kiddos attend a Title 1 school in the south also. I think that there are many that don’t really understand what this means. It means we are in an extremely poor district. There are some wealthy and/or middle class but the majority is welfare. This means our budget given for food (based on test scores and number on assistance) is class C, most of our kids are free or reduced meals. This unfortunately also means that our kids lunch and breakfast is horrible but they do the best they can with the little funding they get. Most of our kids don’t eat other than the minimal food they receive at school. I am one of the few parents that sends healthy breakfasts and snacks for testing week (I ask for an allergy list at the beginning and again in the middle of the school year and do my best to accommodate). I do, however, also send the cutesie candy snacks. Why can’t we teach our kids to have the happy medium?? A few M&Ms for pottying won’t turn a kid into a junkaholic. My 4 year old just sat down with an entire bag of mini peanut butter cups (he’ll only eat a couple because his real snack was an apple with peanut butter). My point is, while yes I try to teach all 4 of my children general healthy eating habits, there are some parents that just don’t care, have the will or the means to make sure their kids eat everyday much less care if it’s healthy. So if there is someone that cares enough to send kids a snack on test day, be thankful they could afford to send enough for the entire class of 30. Our school also does a pep rally for testing. It helps to get the kids motivated to try their best when there are so many negative things being said about the tests now and the kids love it. They have a blast, which is just as important in my book.