Table of Contents: April 2001

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Helping you make sense of schooling today April  2001 • Vol.  3 • Issue 3 Yet, the national debate around stan- dardized testing continues. Public support for testing is strong, but individual states are strug- gling to balance concern over the amount of testing with demands of accountability. How best to use the test results – whether or not to attach consequences to poor test performers – is at the heart of the controversy. TESTING MOMENTUM It is clear that testing is here to stay. Over the past decade, state after state has adopted or revised its stan- dards and assessment tools. Nineteen states have tests to measure whether students are meeting the state’s educational standards. Generally, these tests are given every three years, starting in third or fourth grade. In some states with “high stakes” testing, students must demonstrate a proficiency in the basics to be promoted or graduate. Every state, to some extent, uses norm-referenced tests that compare perfor- mance of students and schools to others nationwide. The push for more testing is linked with the public outcry for more accountability in the schools. Businesses must demonstrate progress and many feel schools should also. As the American workplace demands smarter workers in the future, the schools are being asked to better prepare students. TESTING BENEFITS Just as a doctor uses a test to diagnose a medical condi- tion, schools can use tests to pinpoint problems. And when a child’s strengths and weak- nesses are revealed in a test, teachers and schools can make the necessary changes to be more effective. Tests can be a critical tool to track the progress of student, curriculum, and school. “Absent the test, you have no idea what use is being made of standards and no one has any incentive,” says Colorado Commissioner of Education William Moloney. “Absent the test, you have no instrument of accountability.” This year, Colorado began standards-based testing every year in 3rd grade through 10th. “Reform is a three-part harmony: standards, assess- ment and accountability,” he added. “The centerpiece of that is testing.” CRITICS There is concern among teachers about standardized testing, yet support for the results of such tests is strong. Some 83 percent of teachers say they worry that “teaching to the test” could become the norm, according to a survey conducted last fall by Public Agenda, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy research organization. Assessment advocates argue that there is nothing wrong with teaching to the test, so long as material being taught is necessary and sound. Sixty-two percent of teachers support testing students at a young age because struggling students can be identified and helped. A big part of the contro- versy stems from the conse- quences attached with the tests. Many educators feel tests should be only part of the way that children and schools are assessed. Yet, the same Public Agenda survey shows that 73 percent of teachers believe “students pay more attention and study harder if they know they must pass a test to get promoted or to graduate.” Others question the fairness of the test, especially for students who may be bright but are not good test takers. Some parents, too, are concerned that children are stressed from too much testing.   BOTTOM LINE Although there is skepti- cism, testing has broad support among the public. According to the Public Agenda survey, 71 percent of parents support testing during the elementary school years as Support for testing remains strong amidst debate It’s a simple concept: Test kids to see if they are meeting the standards in their schools. This motivates students, teachers and parents to do their best – and it identifies problem areas. Special Testing Issue