| This study examined the impact of the high-stakes testing on caring practices from the perspectives of teachers in grades three and five. These teachers, located in an East Texas school district with high percentages of low socioeconomic students, were identified as caring by their respective principals. Utilizing narrative nonfiction qualitative method, the stories of eight teachers were collected and analyzed to determine the relationship between high-stakes testing and the ethic of care in teacher practices. The stories were coded for common themes of teacher's perceptions within the context of accountability. The five themes that evolved across the narratives were: heightened need for caring relationships with children, amplified concern for children, increased pressure for improving scores, intensified emotional impact, and reinforced the need for supportive administrators. The stories, although unique and different, created a tapestry that is woven and bound together by the emergent themes presenting a picture of the impact of high-stakes testing on the caring practices of teachers. |
