2. Table Of Contents
• “Standardized Tests Face a Crisis over Standards”
– Summary
– Review
• “How Standardized Testing Damages Education”
– Summary
– Review
• “The Myths of Standardized Testing”
– Summary
– Review
• Conclusion
3. “Standardized Tests Face a Crisis Over
Standards”
Winerip’s article on Standardized
testing describes the short falls of this
type of assessment. He explains how
reliant the U.S. is on standardized
testing, and also how unregulated the
testing industry is. Also, Winerip
expresses his belief that these
assessments are pressuring states to
“dumb down” the tests.
Source
4. “Standardized Tests Face a Crisis Over
Standards” con’t
The major example Winerip uses in this article is
Connecticut. He explains how the No Child Left Behind
legislation is hurting Connecticut’s way of testing. Instead of
only multiple choice tests, Connecticut integrates essays into
their exams. Winerip describes how this form of testing is
more accurate than only multiple choice because it forces
students to apply and evaluate knowledge versus just
restating facts. NCLB has caused problems for Connecticut
because it doesn’t allow for the extra financing for the grading
of essay exams. NCLB also wouldn’t allow for Connecticut to
administer these higher quality essay tests every other year to
stay within their budget. Instead, lawmakers insisted that a
lesser quality multiple choice exam be administered every
year.
5. A Reflection of “Standardized Tests
Face a Crisis Over Standards”
This article really made me think about how
much NCLB legislation impacts our schools. I think
administering tests that do not evaluate how well
our students can apply their knowledge, but only
how well they can regurgitate facts is not the way
to track the performance of our students. I would
much rather my child (or students) be tested less
often with a test that shows how well they can
evaluate and apply information. Most people can
memorize bits of information, but true achievement
is fully understanding that information and having
the capability to apply it.
6. “How Standardized Testing Damages
Education”
This article provided by Fairtest is very easy to
understand with a question and answer format. The
first question this article answers is how schools use
standardized tests to evaluate students. Another
question is asked, “Aren’t these valid uses of test
scores?” Fairtest answers this by explaining that no
test should be the “sole or primary basis for important
educational decisions.” and explains the downsides of
this type of testing. For example, Fairtest explains how
Screening tests for disabilities are not always accurate.
Fairtest also explains how low-income, minority groups
suffer the most from these types of testing.
Source
7. “How Standardized Testing Damages
Education” con’t
Fairtest once again describes the downsides of
multiple-choice tests, stating that multiple –choice
tests narrow the curriculum to cover only what is
on the tests, as well as puts pressure on the
teachers not to educate their students to the best
of their ability, but to ensure they test well. Fairtest
offers a solution to these problems by integrating
essays and performance-based assessments, which
is what other nations use. Also, these tests could
be graded by a panel of trained judges. Fairtest’s
article is a well supported article of opinion.
8. A Reflection of “How Standardized
Testing Damages Education.”
Although I agree with a majority of this article, I think I would
have appreciated it more had it incorporated more hard facts to
support the opinions stated. There was also one point made that I did
not entirely agree with. In response to the question “Aren’t these valid
uses of test scores?”, Fairtest responds that Screening tests for
disabilities “…promote a view of children as having deficits to be
corrected rather than having individual differences and strengths on
which to build.” It may be just they way this line was worded, but I do
not entirely agree. While I do agree that students have individual
differences and strengths, I do think that those students with deficits
need the extra attention to have them corrected. For example, a
student with a reading deficit can not be just categorized as
“different”. This student may have strengths in math, but learning how
to read must be addressed and not just pushed to the side. Overall, I
agreed with this article.
9. “The Myths of Standardized Testing”
This article begins with a series of
statements that the reader is supposed to
determine whether they are true are false. A
few examples are: “Students’ knowledge and
skills can be assessed by a sample of content
that makes up a 45-question test.” and “A
standardized test score is a better reflection of
student learning than any other form of
assessment.” The article continues by stating
that these statements are all myths of
standardized testing. The majority of this
article is a review of the book “The Myths of
Standardized Tests: Why They Don’t Tell You
What You Think They Do.”
Source
10. “The Myths of Standardized Testing”
con’t
This article explains that lawmakers are focused on
what standardized tests do measure, and not what these
tests are lacking. For example, Strauss quotes Gerald
Bracey in the areas that standardized test don’t measure,
“” creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation,
persistence, curiosity, endurance”” She also explains how
not ensuring our students have these assets makes them
“superficial-thinkers.” Strauss also focuses on the current
administration and the legislation they have passed that
goes along side NCLB. She explains how even though
goals are being set to improve our children’s education,
these goals are still rely on annual standardized testing
which are inefficient.
11. A Reflection of “The Myths of
Standardized Testing”
This article was very interesting to me. One quote
particularly really struck me. “Studies of students of
different ages have found a statistical association
between students with high test scores on standardized
tests and relatively shallow thinking.” I do not take this
quote to heart because I have no seen this study, and an
association does not mean fact. I do, however, find this
statement interesting. If students with high test scores
are shallow in thinking, then what about students with
lower test scores? I do believe that creativity, critical
thinking, compassion, among others should be taught in
education. This attributes are not something a
standardized test could ever truly measure.
12. All of these articles focus on the
problems with the United States’ reliance
on standardized testing. I believe that we
as teachers need to do more to take the
focus off of these tests and ensure
students are educated in the areas they
need to succeed. Although these tests are
probably are going to be around for
awhile, let us not let our students suffer for
it. Students need to be able to apply their
knowledge and not just memorize facts,
and we as teachers can help them
accomplish this.
13. Citation
Winerip, M. (2006). Standardized tests face a
crisis over standards. The New York Times,
Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/edu
cation/22education.html?pagewanted=1&
_r=1
BACK
14. Citation
Fairtest. (2007, August 2007). How standardized
testing damages education. Fair Test,
Retrieved from
http://fairtest.org/facts/howharm.htm
BACK
15. Citation
Strauss, V. (2011, April 15). The myths of
standardized testing. Retrieved from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/an
swersheet/post/the_myths_of_standardiz
ed_testing/2011/04/14/AFNxTggD_blog.ht
ml?wprss=answer-sheet
BACK
