Statement of The Problem

It is that time of year again. Spring has sprung, flowers are in bloom, and you can hear the sighs and moans from students in every school, as they await to hear the sentence they have been dreading since before winter break, “It is time to take the test”. Every year teachers are subjected to test cognitive abilities based upon regulations set forth from Federal and State mandates, while students anxiously stress out about whether or not they are going to pass or fail.

The topic of standardized testing is one of much debate, as critics often support or oppose its merits. Educators recognize assessment protocols, such as those within standardized tests, often measure for efficiency/accuracy more than understanding, The Problem With Standardized Testing (n.d.).

“Diagnostic assessments help teachers understand what students know and how they learn. Comparative assessments, however, can create artificial hierarchies that promote unnecessary competition, and discourage students from learning” (The Problem With Standardized Testing, n.

d). Within this session long project (SLP) we will explore the viewpoints of those who support the relevance, timeliness, and importance of standardized testing reforms. We will turn to literature to support our stance about standardized testing. We will reference Valerie Strauss (2017) in her article partnered with Monty Neill (2017) in How Testing Practices Have to Change in U.S. Public Schools and W. James Popham’s (1999) works Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality.

The problem with State and Federal mandates pushing for standardized testing initiatives, is standardized testing is an inefficient way to accurately assess academic performance.

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These types of tests have created problems for teachers in the way they demand answers instantaneously causing students to lack reflection about concepts learned before feedback is given. Students are anxious, causing mistakes, and error in judgment, even if the material has been mastered. Comparatively speaking, students who do excel, lose focus on improvement, and lack appreciation for learning. When reviewing literature about standardized testing, we can see this problem escalating. With the development of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002), now known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2011) requiring schools to test students in the subjects of reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school, the major focus has shifted away from closing achievement gaps, ESEA (2011).

Guided Question and Strategy

In order for us to analyze the best practices within the educational setting, we need to ask ourselves, “What do we consider the biggest issue facing public education that has resulted in schools being labeled low performance organizations?” Jeannie Fulbright said it best when she proclaimed, “If the purpose for learning is to score well on a test, we’ve lost sight of the real reason for learning” (Learning: More than a Grade, n.d.). Educational quality needs to be measured and evaluated in a way that meets the diverse needs of all students. The best course of action for trying to remedy the problem of pushing standardized testing, can be found through research and literature. Valerie Strauss (2017) shares her point of view alongside Monty Neill (2017) in their collaborative works of How Testing Practices Have to Change in U.S. Public Schools where they illustrate testing reforms have made some progress within the last year.

Monty Neill, an executive director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, known as FairTest, spends his time dedicated to ending mistreatment and misuse of standardized tests. His key reforms target: ending high-stake tests for students, teachers, and schools, reducing testing to federally mandated minimums, and implement local performance assessments that could be controlled by the educators, Strauss (2017). Neill (2017) shares his recommendations he feels are needed to change testing practices. Neill (2017) aspires to end state requirements that mandate students pass exams in order to promote to grade level or graduate. He feels educators should not be penalized based on the exam scores of student performance. Neill (2017) wants to change state policy sanctions placed on schools and districts, by providing more funding and assistance. Neill (2017) proclaims, “With lowered accountability mandates, schools and districts will be under less pressure to boost state test scores”(Strauss (2017).

W. James Popham (1999) articulates in his works Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality, educators are pressured more than ever to indicate their effectiveness through the continuation of standardized tests. While many state assessments are out there, such as: the California Achievement Tests, Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, and Stanford Achievement Tests, these tests fail to examine the quality and effectiveness of state educators. Tests such as these fail to demonstrate a child’s strength or weakness. These tests only prove to show how one set of criteria compare to a different set of criterion. Educators are placed under enormous pressure to ensure students of all academic levels possess the genuine aptitude for passing such strenuous examinations.

Popham (1999) proclaims, “If a test actually covered all the knowledge and skills in the domain, it would be far too long” (Ascd, n.d.). Standardized tests according to Popham (1999) contain too few variables that lack meaningful comparisons within subjects. His solution for standardized tests is to find a more effective form of assessment-based platform. He feels educators should be held accountable, not through the use of standardized tests, but through the validity of using other useful assessments. The purpose of this SLP will be to review literature from within, How Testing Practices Have to Change in U.S. Public Schools, Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality, in order to answer questions, “What do we consider to be the biggest issue facing public education that has resulted in schools being labeled low performance organizations?” and “How do we go about finding a resolution for this problem?”

References

1. Ascd. (n.d.). Why Standardized Tests Dont Measure Educational Quality. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Dont-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx
2. ESEA. (2011, January 01). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Retrieved from http://www.k12.wa.us/esea/NCLB.aspx
3. Learning: More than a Grade. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://blog.umhb.edu/learning-more-than-a-grade/
4. Strauss, V. (2017, January 06). How testing practices have to change in U.S. public schools. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/01/06/how-testing-practices-have-to-change-in-u-s-public-schools/?utm_term=.4c71985b3fb1
5. The Problem With Standardized Testing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://teachmag.com/archives/9990