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An Effective and Critical History of Canada's National Standardized An Effective and Critical History of Canada’s National Standardized Testing Program: A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology University of Regina by Margaret Anne Dagenais Regina, Saskatchewan March 31, 2011 © 2011 M.A. Dagenais UNIVERSITY OF REGINA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH SUPERVISORY AND EXAMINING COMMITTEE Ms. Margaret Anne Dagenais, candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education, has presented a thesis titled, An Effective and Critical History of Canada’s National Standardized Testing Program, in an oral examination held on March 31, 2011. The following committee members have found the thesis acceptable in form and content, and that the candidate demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the subject material. External Examiner: *Dr. Louis Volante, Brock University Supervisor: Dr. Heather Ryan, Faculty of Education, Educational Psychology Committee Member: Dr. Douglas Brown, Faculty of Education, Curriculum & Instruction Committee Member: Dr. Paul Hart, Faculty of Education, Curriculum & Instruction Committee Member: Dr. Mhairi Maeers, Faculty of Education, Curriculum & Instruction Committee Member: Dr. Morina Rennie, Faculty of Business Administration Chair of Defense: Dr. Neil Ashton, Department of Physics *Video Conference Abstract This dissertation explores Canada‟s national large-scale testing program, the School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) and its successor, the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) using a methodology built on Foucault‟s theoretical concepts. The product of the research is a critical and effective history of the production of SAIP/PCAP within the Canadian social, political, and economic context. The study considers the work of Canadian scholars and commentators working in the field of large- scale testing and the work of those working in aspects of education that are proximal to the field of interest. The research recognizes the key role of the investigator, the critical importance of investigator‟s proximity to the field, her struggles within the field; and it also recognizes the need of the investigator to step away from the obligation to argue a particular perspective. The study also explores standardized testing regimes operating in England and the United States as well as international testing programs to gather the effects of these correlative spaces on the Canadian experience. The outcomes of the research include the production of an understanding of how large-scale standardized testing was produced in Canada, its resultant effects of harmonization on curriculum, and the identification of possible research sites for further inquiry. i Acknowledgements It is my pleasure to thank those who made my thesis possible. I would like to acknowledge the support and encouragement that I received from my family, friends, and colleagues. I would also like to recognize the moral support and guidance provided by my mentor and supervisor, Dr. Heather Ryan. My committee members - Drs. Doug Brown, Paul Hart, Vi Maeers, and Morina Rennie - offered invaluable feedback and support throughout the writing process. Margaret Dagenais ii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my Father, Henry Abraham Friesen. My Father was my role model. His life was dedicated to research and inquiry, serving his community, and creating a loving and caring home at a time of crisis and adversity. iii Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ ii Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... iii CHAPTER ONE Background and Introduction to an Effective History of Canada‟s National Standardized Testing Program ........................................................................................................................... 1 Overview ............................................................................................................................ 1 The Research Space ......................................................................................................... 10 Why This Study and Why Now? ..................................................................................... 19 Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 22 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 23 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 24 Method ............................................................................................................................. 28 Assumptions ..................................................................................................................... 30 Limitations ....................................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER TWO The Voice of the Self: An Ontological Perspective .................................................................... 34 Las Meninas: A Contemplation ...................................................................................... 36 The Gap ............................................................................................................................ 37 A Synthesis of Possibilities .................................................................................. 42 The Self as a Field of Knowledge .................................................................................... 42 Memory ................................................................................................................ 44 Method ................................................................................................................. 47 Meditation ............................................................................................................ 50 Synthesis .......................................................................................................................... 52 iv CHAPTER THREE Foucault‟s Methodology: Possibilities and Opportunities for Building Understanding .............................................................................................................................. 53 Foucault‟s Methodology and Method .............................................................................. 59 Three thinkers ...................................................................................................... 60 Foucault‟s Ontological Perspective ................................................................................. 64 Discourse .............................................................................................................. 69 Discourse Analysis ............................................................................................... 73 Archaeology ......................................................................................................... 78 Genealogy ............................................................................................................ 86 The Foucauldian Triangle: Truth, Power, and Self .......................................................... 89 Truth ..................................................................................................................... 90 Power: Sovereignty, Discipline, and Governmentality ........................................ 92 Governmentality ................................................................................................. 95 Methodological Perspective: Ambiguities and Interpretations ...................................... 100 Method ............................................................................................................... 101 Foucauldian Concepts ........................................................................................ 102 Tactics and Examples ........................................................................................ 106 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 107 CHAPTER FOUR Contextualizing Voices: What are the Voices and What do They Say? ................................... 110 American Voices: Who Speaks about Standardized Testing and What Do these Voices Say? .................................................................................................................... 113 Event 1: The Production of Public Education .................................................... 114 Event 2: The Introduction of the Multiple Choice Test Item ............................. 118 Event 3: The Introduction of Criterion-Referenced Testing .............................. 120 Event 4: A Nation at Risk – Identifying Who Is Responsible ............................ 124 v Event 5: No Child Left Behind Act 2001: Standardized Testing Remains in Force .............................................................................................. 132 Summary ...........................................................................................................
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