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Note:Thisarticle,"Tests:Myths&Realities,"isexcerptedfrom
TestingforResults:HelpingFamilies,SchoolsandCommunities
UnderstandandImproveStudentAchievementpublishedbytheU.
S.DepartmentofEducation(2002).WhyTestsAreNecessary.
Testingstudentsisnothingnew.Goodteachershavealwaystried
tomeasurehowwelltheirstudentsarelearningandusedteststo
recognizestudentachievementanduncoverlearningproblems.
Withoutmeasuringstudentachievement,theonlycriteria
governingstudentgradesandpromotionwouldbebehaviorin
classandattendance.
Testinghasonlyrecentlyemergedasanissuebecausetaxpayers
areaskingmoreandtougherquestionsabouttheperformanceof
theirschoolsandstudentsandseekingmoreandbetterinformation
aboutschoolandstudentperformance.Theresultsofteacher
designedexamsandawideassortmentof"offtheshelf"testsare
helpful,buttheyshedlittlelightonschoolperformanceand
academicprogramimpact.HowStudentsLearn:WhatWorks,
WhatDoesn'tWorkAstrongaccountabilitysystemcomposedof
annualtestingkeyedtorigorousacademicstandardsanda
challengingcurriculumtaughtintheschoolprovidesthesortof
informationneededtodeterminewhatworks,whatdoesn't,how
wellstudentsareachieving,andwhattodotohelpthosewhoneed
help.
Astheuseofstandardizedtestsincreasesandparentsarebetter
abletounderstandthedimensionsofschoolandstudent
performance,therewillbegreaterpressureonlowperforming
schoolstoimprove.Thisworriesthosewhomightfeelthat
pressureandsotheyhaveattemptedtounderminethe
accountabilitymovementbychallengingtheusefulnessoftesting.
Theoncecommonsenseassumptionthattestingispartoflearning
isbeingchallengedbymythscreatedtounderminetheeffortto
improveAmerica'sschools.
9MythsAboutTesting
Myth:Testingsuppressesteachingandlearning.
TheReality:Ateacheriseffectivewhenastudentlearns.Itis
impossibletodetermineteachingeffectivenesswithout
determininglearningresults.Ateachercanpresentagreatlesson,
butifthestudentsdonotunderstand,thenthelessonhasnovalue.
Testingstudentsonwhattheyaretaughthasalwaysbeenapartof
teaching.Theprocessoftestingstudentsonwhattheyarelearning
overacourseofinstructionisuniversallyunderstoodand
appreciated.Testinghelpsteachersunderstandwhattheirstudents
need,helpsstudentsunderstandwhattheyneedtolearn,andhelps
parentsunderstandhowtheymighthelptheirchildren.
Myth:Testingnarrowsthecurriculumbyrewardingtest
takingskills.
TheReality:Althoughaqualityeducationreachesfarbeyondthe
confinesofanyspecifictest,annualtestingisimportant.It
establishesbenchmarksofstudentknowledge.Testskeyedto
rigorousstateacademicstandardsprovideameasureofstudent
knowledgeandskills.Iftheacademicstandardsaretrulyrigorous,
studentlearningwillbeaswell.
Myth:Testingpromotes"teachingtothetest."
TheReality:Testingispartofteachingandlearning.Thosewho
saytestinggetsinthewayoflearningframeafalsedichotomy.
Giftedandinspiringteachersuseteststomotivatestudentsaswell
astoassesstotheirlearning.Effectiveteachersrecognizethevalue
oftestingandknowhowtoemploytestingininstruction.
Myth:Testingdoesnotmeasurewhatastudentshouldknow.
TheReality:Inastrongaccountabilitysystem,thecurriculumis
drivenbyacademicstandards,andannualtestsaretiedtothe
standards.Withthisinplace,testsnotonlymeasurewhatastudent
shouldknowbutalsoprovideagoodindicationofwhetherornot
thestudenthasindeedlearnedthematerialcoveredbythe
curriculum.
Myth:Annualtestingplacestoomuchemphasisonasingle
exam.
TheReality:MostAmericansseetheimportanceofvisitinga
physicianforanannualcheckup.Theyalsorecognizethe
importanceofmaintainingahealthylifestyleandmonitoringtheir
healththroughouttheyear.
Annualtestingprovidesimportantinformationonstudent
achievement.Annualtestingenablesteachersandparentstoknow
howbesttoimprovestudentperformanceanddiagnoseproblems
thatmightbeassociatedwithpoorperformance.Ifasingleannual
testweretheonlydeviceateacherusedtogaugestudent
performance,itwouldindeedbeinadequate.Effectiveteachers
assesstheirstudentsinvariouswaysduringtheschoolyear.As
theydothis,theynotonlymonitorstudentachievementbutalso
helptoensurethattheirstudentswillexcelonannualtests.
Myth:Testingdiscriminatesagainstdifferentstylesoftest
takers.
TheReality:Awelldesignedevaluationsystemaccommodates
specialneeds.Evaluatingtheperformanceofallstudentsisnot
easy.Somestudentsdohavetroubletakingtests.Somestudents
scorepoorlyforreasonsoutsidetheclassroom.Agoodevaluation
systemwillreflectthediversityofstudentlearningand
achievement.
Myth:Testingprovideslittlehelpfulinformationand
accomplishesnothing.
TheReality:Agoodevaluationsystemprovidesinvaluable
informationthatcanhelpdiagnoseachievementproblems.Testing
givesinformationthatisnecessaryforteachersandparentsto
makeinformeddecisionsaboutinstructionandcurriculuminthe
classroom,school,district,andhome.Testingisprovesuseful
informationandcanchangethewayschoolsoperate.
Myth:Testinghurtsthepoorandpeopleofcolor.
TheReality:Millionsofyoungpeoplemanyfromlowincome
families,manypeopleofcolorarebeingleftbehindeveryday
becauseoflowexpectationsabouttheiracademicachievement
andinadequatemeasurestodetermineacademicachievement.
Thesearethestudentswhostandtobenefitthemostfromannual
testing.Astrongaccountabilitysystemwillmakeitimpossibleto
ignoreachievementgapswheretheyexist.Moreover,where
testingsystemsarenowinplace,lowincomeandminority
studentsareindeedexcelling.Arecentstudyreportsthatthereare
morethan4,500highpovertyandhighminorityschools
nationwidethatscoredinthetoponethirdonthestatetests.
Myth:Testingwillincreasedropoutratesandcreatephysical
andemotionalillnessinchildren.
TheReality:Theoverwhelmingmajorityofstudentswhodropout
ofschooldosobecausetheyarefrustrated.Theycannotreador
writeorlearn.Testinghelpswiththeearlyidentificationof
studentswhoarehavingtroublelearningsotheymaygetthe
servicestheyneedtosucceed.Testing,inanyform,does
sometimescauseanxiety.Effectiveteachersunderstandthisand
helpstudentsprepareforit.Testingisapartoflife,andyoung
peopleneedtobeequippedtodealwithit.
Note:"Testing:Myths&Realities"isexcerptedfromanlonger
articlepublishedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducation,Testingfor
Results:HelpingFamilies,SchoolsandCommunitiesUnderstand
andImproveStudentAchievement(2002)
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