The current rationale for standards-based reform goes like this: If standards are demanding and tests accurately measure achievement of those standards, then curriculum and instruction will become richer and more rigorous. By attaching serious consequences to schools that fail to increase test scores, U.S. policymakers believe that educators will…

There is no doubt that in the past 10 years, school culture has become a testing culture. But all the "multiple measures" do not really lead one to achieve the three most often cited goals of testing: building proficiency in basic skills, closing achievement gaps, and fostering the top-notch knowledge and skills that students will need…

Instructional decisions based on quality assessments and a balanced assessment system most effectively promote student learning. To inform sound decisions, assessments need to satisfy five key standards of quality: (1) clear purpose; (2) clear learning targets; (3) sound assessment design; (4) effective communication of results; and (5) student…

Although today's performance pay plans take many forms, the most commonly proposed version--in which teachers are rewarded on the basis of their students' standardized test scores--flows from flawed logic and several troublesome assumptions: that teachers lack motivation and supposedly need financial awards to give students what they need; that…

The way we define excellence dictates the way we achieve it. The author looks at four models of excellence that operate in schools today. The first looks only at the lowest-performing students, focusing all resources on getting these students to score above "proficient" on standardized tests so that the school will be in compliance with…

Professional assessment organizations almost universally endorse the use of multiple measures for making education decisions. In practice, however, the concept of multiple measures is defined and applied in many different ways, depending on how we answer two questions--What counts as a "measure"? and How are the multiple measures…

Its focus on holding schools accountable for student achievement on standardized assessments sets NCLB apart from previous versions of the law. The more severe consequences for schools that do not show the necessary improvements in student achievement--such as restructuring and state takeovers--loom just around the corner. Many educators are…

In 2002, Michael Bloomberg, New York City's newly elected mayor, hoped to fix his city's public schools, which were widely perceived as plagued by a gamut of problems that ranged from low test scores to patronage-riddled schools and districts. A special bill approved by the New York State Legislature made Bloomberg solely accountable to the New…

Despite a policy focus on educating the whole child, China continues to struggle with a culture of testing, placing a premium on academic knowledge to the detriment of a more well-rounded curriculum. Students are overworked, lack adequate sleep, and have little time for anything beyond school work. The Chinese Ministry of Education has enumerated…

Summarizes the main findings of the Advisory Panel on SAT Score Decline, which investigated possible explanations for the continuing decline of scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and concluded that since 1970 the decline is largely the result of changes in the high school curriculum. (JG)

Connecticut has two statewide student assessment programs. The Connecticut Assessment of Educational Progress uses sampling procedures to examine state program effectiveness periodically in 11 mandated subject areas. The Connecticut Mastery Tests annually monitor mathematics and language arts progress for every fourth-, sixth-, and eighth- grade…

Despite their richness, student portfolios and other assessment records see little use beyond the individual teacher. The current system also limits use of teacher-gathered assessments by other interested parties. For school-related decisions, standardized test scores should be considered in conjunction with teachers' assessments. (MLH)

Despite their shortcomings, standardized tests provide numerical, intelligible data on how a child, school, or district is performing and vital information about patterns of strengths and weaknesses among students in a classroom, school, or district. A sensible compromise in the testing debate would be helpful. (MLH)

When the Stanford and CTBS achievement batteries were analyzed, two major findings emerged: (1) the test items included only nine of the 22 general cognitive operations; and (2) the required general cognitive operations had little to do with student achievement on these tests. Implications and alternative assessment techniques are discussed.…