Lesson 2 - Standardized Testing
What is this Lesson about?
In this lesson, we are going to take a look at what has become known today as "Standardized Testing," and at the current trend of "standardized" testing. What does a test mean when it becomes "standardized?"
Focus Objectives
In this unit, students will
- Identify some pros and cons of standardized testing.
- Develop their own position on the ongoing debate regarding standardized testing by gathering and evaluating support for both sides of the debate.
- Post their opinions as comments on the course Debategraph, and be included on the course map.
- Collaborate to find practical alternatives to standardized testing.
Do Now
Think back to when you were a student in either elementary or secondary school. What was it like the day before a test? The day of a test? The day after a test? Make a list of your feelings, or draw them, if you like. Add your feelings in this page's Discussion area by editing the discussion page and making a list of your feelings, with your name at the top. If you like, feel free to share with us a brief story of your most memorable (or infamous) testing experience.
Activity 1
1) Read the following blog entry from the Washington Post: How The First Standardized Tests Helped Start a War
2) After you have read the article, see if you can answer the following reflection questions:
- What was the purpose of the civil service exam in China during the Han and Song Dynasties? Why did some teachers like Ye Shi disagree with this method of testing?
- How does Ye Shi's quote apply to today's discussion on standardized testing in schools?
- Describe an alternative to modern testing that focuses on both cultivates and fosters a love of learning [intrinsic] preparing a student to meet new and practical challenges [extrinsic].
Using Standardized Testing as a Form of Assessment
You'll recall from our previous lesson that assessment is a term we use to describe a formal or informal evaluation of a particular skill, quality, or ability. In our next unit, we will be going into more detail of the different forms of assessment. In the meantime, here is a good place to talk about one form in particular - the most well-known (or the most infamous, depending on who you ask): the Standardized Test.
The definition of a Standardized Test is a simple one: it is the same test - given under the same conditions, evaluated in the same manner - to a wide variety of learners. The reason behind all of this sameness is to present data that is empirically valid; standardized tests are designed to measure learners on an equal playing field where assessment is distributed and evaluated evenly.
Controversies
Problems inevitably arise, therefore, in the areas where learners or the advocates of learners may feel assessment is not being evaluated evenly. The modern argument can be made that every learner acquires knowledge differently, and that standardized testing is inherently flawed due to an inability to relate to the wide variety of learners the test is supposed to evaluate. For example, in an elementary-level test asking the question "What is the name of a baby cow?", students living in a more rural environment are inherently better equipped to answer such a question. When implementing a standardized test, it is important to take into account the variable groups of the learners taking part in the assessment:
- Socioeconomic background
- Racial identity
- Age
- Individualized Education Plan
Multiple Choice
Furthermore, when dealing with standardized tests, there is tendency to rely on multiple choice questions as the backbone of the test format. Again, this is something we will delve into more in the next unit when we talk about various forms of assessment, but for now, it is important to note that the nature of multiple choice questions as a form of assessment continues to be the topic of much heated debate and criticism, for several reasons:
- Objectivity
- Chance
- Simplicity
For now, just think of these terms, and remember them for our next unit. How do you think they will relate to multiple choice testing? We will examine each reason more specifically, and see if you were able to find out why the multiple choice method of assessment is undergoing such scrutiny.
Activity 2
1) Follow this link to our course's page on the Debategraph site:
Debategraph Course Page - Standardized Testing
2) Register and make an account (don't worry, it's free!), or log in if you have already made one. 3) Add to our developing course map a unique contribution of your own. Use what you have learned from this lesson to state a fact on why you agree with the current standard testing policies, or if you think tests should be adjusted to go in another direction. Be sure to include why you agree, and include any sources you wish to cite as research.
Sources
- "Structure of the U.S. Education System: Standardized Tests." Standardized Tests - U.S. Department of Education. International Affairs Office, U.S. Department of Education, Feb. 2008. Web. <www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/tests.doc>.
- Defending standardized testing.Phelps, Richard P. (Ed)Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. (2005). xviii 341 pp.