Presentation by Eric Ntam at the ELT conference in Sudan/ University of Khartoum and British Council/ 1-3 March 2010

3. … to develop national tests of student achievement in reading and in math….Every state should adopt high national standards … every state should test every fourth grader in reading and every eighth grader in math to make sure these standards are met. William Jefferson Clinton (February 4, 1997 )

5. “ Standards and Tests: B ” at the top of Mr. Clinton’s list, was his boldest idea … a long-overdue step toward true accountability. Republicans to applaud it.” Chester E. Finn, Jr(February, 1997)

14. 3. They help in grading: Universities in Cameroon conform to the following grading system Mark GPA ( Grade Point Average) Grades Honours Mention 16-20 4.00 A, A+ 1st Class Tr ès Bien 14-15.99 3-3.50 B, B+ 2nd Class (Lower - Upper) Bien 12-13.99 2.50 C+ 3rd Class Assez Bien 10-11.99 2.00 C Pass Passable

15. What are some of setbacks of standardised tests? 1)They give false information about the status of learning in nation’s schools. 2) Selection of high achieving school’s high overall scores. 3) U nfair or biased against some kinds of students 4) corrupt the process of teaching and learning 5) time, energy and attention focused on the simpler skills tested

16. 6) high achieving students are penalised if individual grades are averaged

18. Clinton, William Jefferson “1997 State of the Union Address” Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues . 10th ed.. James Wm. Noll (Ed). Dushkin: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1999. 144 – 47 Finn, Chester E., Jr. “C for Effort” Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues . 10th ed.. James Wm. Noll (Ed). Dushkin: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1999. 148-52 Grove, Carole C. Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice. 5 th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.

19. Change We Need Thank You