Standardized Testing

Of course, I was wrong that 25% of the students had a 4.0.  It is greater than ⅛th.  If we looked at that same population (high school) we had 736/1810 students with a 3.5+.   Amazing. 

 

So, we can talk grade inflation - or can we, unless we really understand what’s going on with Standardized Testing?  Are the students simply not very good at testing? Or are we talking about students whose families demand higher grades - and those squeaky wheels get the premium oil they believe they are entitled to have? 

 

This is truly a catch-22.  

 

I remember when we began all this testing and this was the pitfall educators warned everyone would happen.  

 

So what are the solutions? Do we take it away from testing the core and siloed courses? Do we begin testing on Personal Finance? On Problem Solving? On actual skills that would behoove every student to be knowledgable in?  

 

The book Tony refers to in the episode is: 

 

Unraveling the Assessment Industrial Complex by Michelle Tenam-Zemach (Author), Daniel R. Conn (Author), Paul T. Parkison (Author)

At the same time, here are some questions that we should be asking, discussing, and demanding answers from the powers that be! 

1.  What are we actually measuring?
2. What are some causes for testing scores to be going downward?
3. Why do we need 112 standardized tests for pre-k - 12th grade students?
4. Are these all equitable?
5. Are we dealing with the perpetuation of hierarchies?
6. Is this all a corporate complex - a multi-billion dollar Assessment Industrial Complex that feeds into the corporate mantra of post-secondary education (the university system)?
7. Are schools now expected to teach to the test, rather than actually teach valid content? 
8. Are schools being complacent and following along? For what reason? 
9. Is this a case of the tail wagging the dog?
10. What if teachers simply taught their material rather than worry about the test scores?
11.   Are the continually lower testing scores truly indicative of grade inflation? 
12. What are some solutions we can come up with to solve all this testing madness?
13. What if we measured - - - -?

I'm sure this will be a debate into the next century, but it goes to the fundamentals of education and its purpose.  If we can answer that then we should be able to confront Standardized Testing head on.