High-Stakes Testing...What is your opinion?
Author- Amy Cannon 2011
What is your stand on high-stakes testing?
“Relying on test scores to make critical educational
decisions about students or schools - is what is called high stakes testing.
Common examples include retaining a child in grade or withholding a student’s
high-school diploma solely on the basis their score on a test, or relying on
test scores to determine whether a teacher or school should be sanctioned or
rewarded” (FairTest, 2011).
As someone who got
good grades in high school, college and am now getting my Master’s in
education, but had to take the ACT a few times to pass, I personally do not
believe that high-stakes testing should be the final deciding factor for
students, teachers, or schools. Although
my high school grades were good, having to take the ACT a couple times
prevented me from getting into certain colleges. At the time, my friends and I would just
reassure ourselves that some people were better in school than they were taking
those big timed tests. I know that the
testing and decisions were different, when I was in high school, but it can
translate into the current issues of standardized testing. The following paragraphs cover research/opinion
on the topic of high-stakes testing.
The following is an
expert quote. ''One test does not
improve learning any more than a thermometer cures a fever, said Heubert, a
professor of education at Columbia University and author of the book High Stakes: Testing for Tracking, Promotion
and Graduation. We should be using
these tests to get schools to teach more of what we want students to learn, not
as a way to punish them-Boston Globe,
December 7, 2001,Testing expert calls for more than MCAS results to assess
students” (FairTest, 2007).
Our research also stated,
“The use of high- stakes testing has raised concerns about the reliance
on one exam as the measure of student learning.
Many students report that standardized testing puts an enormous amount
of pressure on them, hinders their motivation and learning, and minimizes the
effort that they have put in throughout the school year” (Salend, 2011).
From this research, it seems that students are not putting
much emphasis on what they are learning in class, because they know that it
will not have an effect on the final decision.
I would assume that it would be difficult for students to relax, learn,
and enjoy their educational environment.
It would also be difficult for the teachers to expand their lessons past
anything but what would be on the standardized test. This could stifle creativity and prevent
students from getting a more diverse education.
Our research stated,
“The pressure to judge student learning and teacher effectiveness based on the
results of standardized tests can result in educators teaching to the test at
the expense of other important aspects of the curriculum. For example, concerns
have been raised about school districts narrowing the curriculum by eliminating
or significantly reducing the instructional time devoted to subjects that are
not the focus of standardized testing. Family members report that they often do
not understand what the tests measure, how to interpret the results, and why
their child’s test scores differ from their report card grades” (Salend,
2011).
Additionally I do
not agree that teachers should be paid based on how their students
perform. It takes away from their
creativity and ability to teach other important subjects. Another resource stated, “Payment for
"performance" will exacerbate damage to the curriculum caused by
NCLB. Schools add time and effort to the tested subjects of math and reading,
and then subtract it from other important areas including social studies,
science, art, music, and gym. If all teachers are paid for the school's math
and reading scores, this will further narrow the curriculum. In Texas, for
example, science, and history teachers have been forced to teach math and
reading” (FairTest, 2009).
What kinds of accommodations do you think are appropriate?
I believe that there should be a completely different way to
assess students and evaluate schools. It
should be a combination of classroom learning, fewer tests, and a review
process to measure how the teachers and schools are doing. I found an article in EducationWeek to be very interesting. It said, “A healthy assessment and evaluation
system would include three key components: limited large-scale standardized
testing; extensive school-based evidence of learning; and a school quality-review
process” (Neill,
2010).
In regards to limited testing, “many nations with better and
more equitable educational outcomes test far less than we do. They typically
test just one to three times before high school graduation, and use
multiple-choice questions sparingly, if at all. Excessive testing wastes
educational resources and fosters the use of cheap, low-level tests, while
adding high stakes narrows and dumbs down the curriculum” (Neill, 2010).
The second piece would be evaluating the students in their
classrooms. “The primary public source
of data about student achievement should be the work students do in the
classroom. That kind of evidence reveals the range, depth, and quality of
student learning” (Neill, 2010).
The final accommodation is very different but has been
successful in many other countries.
School-quality reviews have been the main tool for school evaluation “in
places such as England (which tests at a few grades), Wales (which tests only
at grade 5, with no stakes), and New Zealand (which has only a NAEP-like
national exam). Instead of test results,
the core of evaluation is a comprehensive review every four to five years
covering the range of attributes parents and communities want for their
schools” (Neill, 2010).
What do you see as the purpose of standardized testing?
I believe that standardized testing should only be one piece
of the complete assessment process. As I
mentioned above, I agree with limiting the amount of testing before high school. In addition, we should “Consider a Range of
Testing Accommodations. Because of the varied purposes of testing and the
unique qualities of your students, it is important for you and your colleagues
to consider a range of possible testing accommodations. Testing accommodations
are usually categorized as relating to presentation and response mode formats,
to timing, scheduling, and setting alternatives, and to linguistically based
factors. It also is important to be aware that students also may benefit from
more than one type of testing accommodation and may therefore need packages of
different types of testing accommodations” (Salend, 2011).
What is your stand on selected response tests vs. performance-based assessment?
“The term performance assessment (PA) is typically used to
refer to a class of assessments that is based on observation and judgment. Proponents of performance assessment have
identified many possible benefits, such as allowing a broad range of learning
outcomes to be assessed and preserving the complex nature of disciplinary knowledge
and inquiry, including conceptual understanding, problem-solving skills, and
the application of knowledge and understanding to unique situations. Of
particular interest is the potential of PA to capture aspects of higher-order
thinking and reasoning, which are difficult to test in other ways” (Ask.com,
2011).
A second assessment category
is selected response. “Selected response
(objective) assessment items are very efficient – once the items are created,
you can assess and score a great deal of content rather quickly. Note that the
term objective refers to the fact that each question has a right and wrong answer
and that they can be impartially scored” (USF,
2011).
I feel that students
should be assessed mainly on the side of performance-based assessments. Selected response assessments should be involved,
but only as a reflection of what the student is learning in the classroom. Selected response assessments could also fall under
the category of the limited standardized testing mentioned earlier.
How does a teacher decide when to use each one? What is the value of each?
How does a teacher decide when to use performance-based assessments
or selected response assessments? I am sure
that it can be difficult determining which type of assessment to use. It would depend on the learning styles of the students
in the classroom, the lesson, and the level of measurability. I believe you need to start with the design of
the assessment and then move on from that point.
“To design an assessment: Decide on format (selected
response, constructed response, performance assessment); specify the purpose of
the assessment and the standard(s) it will measure; specify performance
expectations/descriptions and develop rubrics or other indicators for each
level of performance; and clearly articulate the performance task and check
that it is aligned with the lesson, measures what is important, is fair, doable
within the timeframe” (RMC, 2005).
There are several values
for using performance-based assessments and selected response assessments. Performance-based assessments require
students to demonstrate something that meets certain criteria. This could
include, examples of how to conduct a search, posting specific projects on the
web, producing a book, performances, scientific demonstrations, and research papers.
“Some of these are projects, some are
performance tasks, and some are culminating activities. Typically, performance
assessments illuminate students' skills, conceptual understandings, ability to
apply knowledge and skills, performance execution abilities, and process
abilities” (RMC, 2005).
Selected response
assessments include multiple choice, true/false, and matching tests. The value is,
they are efficient ways of measuring knowledge acquisition and it is easy to
set levels for performance (e.g., 18 correct out of 20 = B) (RMC, 2005).
What is your stand on using differentiated grading systems? When would you choose the various types? How would you defend the use of one of these alternative systems?
I really like the idea of using differentiated grading systems.
My two favorite types are multiple grading
and criterion-referenced grading systems. I believe the type of grading system you chose
would depend on the grade level, specific lesson, and the variety of students you
have in your classroom.
Our research stated, “Criterion- referenced grading systems
allow you to report on your students’ mastery within the curriculum. You can
modify these grading systems to promote communication and differentiation in
several ways. You can report on your students’ levels of curriculum mastery and
the differentiation techniques used by completing a series of predetermined,
open- ended statements addressing important aspects of your curriculum” (Salend,
2011).
In addition, “you also can use multiple grading to adjust
your numerical/ letter grades by grading students on multiple factors:
achievement, effort, and level of curriculum difficulty. Grades for these
factors can then be averaged or weighted to produce a composite final grade.
For example, a student who was assigned an achievement grade of 95, an effort
grade of 90, and a level- of- curriculum- difficulty grade of 85 could have
these grades averaged into a final grade of 90” (Salend, 2011).
It would not be difficult to defend the ability to use one of
the alternative systems if you were able to show that it would meet all of the needs
of each student, the classroom, the school, and the district. You can defend a grading system by “considering
and addressing legal issues; identifying the purpose of grades; agreeing on the
nature and impact of differentiated instruction techniques; selecting grading
systems that support differentiated instruction and communication; addressing the
special challenges and situations of students and teachers; and using effective
practices that support the teaching, learning, and grading processes” (Salend, 2011).
In conclusion, I have discussed my stand on high-stakes
testing including what accommodations I think are appropriate. I also covered my view on the purpose of standardized
testing and my stand on selected response testing verses performance-based
assessments. Finally, I discussed my
opinion on using differentiated grading systems, when to choose specific types
of grading systems, and how to defend your choices.
References
Ask.com.
(2011). Performance assessment. Ask.com. Retrieved from
http://www.ask.com
FairTest.
(2007). Organizations and experts opposed to high stakes testing.
FairTest. Retrieved from http://www.fairtest.org
FairTest.
(2009). Paying teachers for student test scores damages schools and undermines
learning. FairTest. Retrieved from http://www.fairtest.org
FairTest.
(2011). High stakes k-12. In The case against high stakes testing.
FairTest. Retrieved from http://www.fairtest.org
Neill,
M. (2010). A better way to assess students and evaluate schools.
EducationWeek.
RMC.
(2005). Adopt, adapt, or develop assessments that are aligned with and
reflect the performance descriptions and expectations. RMC Research
Company. Retrieved from http://www.rmcdenver.com
Salend, S. (2011).
Understanding inclusion. In creating
inclusive classrooms:
Effective
and reflective practices, seventh edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Pearson Education Inc.
USF.
(2011). Writing selected response assessment items. USF. Retrieved from
http://www.fcit.usf.edu
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