(De)Grading the Standardized Test Can Standardized Testing Evaluate Schools? NICOLA E. SIMMONS

In late November 2003, the Burlington Post reported, “Halton’s public schools holding their own in provincial test- ing”.1 Was there much rejoicing among regional schoolteachers that day? Did pressure ease, did parents smile, did principals congratulate; in short, was it viewed as a great achieve- ment of teaching success? And if so, is it the whole picture? Do high marks on large-scale standardized tests prove In opposition to the that students are doing better in cognitive multi-level school? Do they indicate which are approach of the the better schools? classroom activities, “Accountability!” runs the education standardized tests battle cry. “Test the troops!” Is the reply. focus on the final Standardized testing is an assess- step rather than the ment strategy that evaluates all stu- learning path, and dents and all schools on the same in doing so, may basic skills and, therefore, might rea- ignore higher-level sonably indicate which schools are cognitive skills. high performers and which are not. Standardized testing is not a new strategy for providing this proof. The whether explanations have made While this sounds reasonable, the United States has produced reams of sense to the students. Standardized problem with current standardized articles criticizing standardized test- tests are designed to establish an edu- tests is that the standards being tested ing and its effect on students, teach- cational guarantee that, before mov- are often separate from those reflect- ers, and education. Other countries, ing to the next level, students have ed in the curriculum. Even when there Canada being one, are jumping on the achieved the outcomes necessary for are matches, the outcomes assessed by standardized testing bandwagon, leav- success. Additionally, these tests can standardized tests are seldom in har- ing many wondering whether due provide information about school mony with the outcomes intended by consideration has been given to the performance and where education the curriculum. In fact, one study American experience. dollars could be spent to develop pro- from the University of Wisconsin This article looks at standardized grammes. found that in one subject the overlap testing in the United States and asks Standardized testing at its best was just 5 percent.2 these questions: Do standardized tests could determine whether each stu- James Popham, a retired standard- measure curriculum outcomes? Do dent has met the desired outcomes ized-test creator, tells how this prob- they accurately reflect student learn- and is ready to go on to the next level. lem arises. Test writers, he says, make ing? And finally, do standardized tests Just as a driving test ensures that positive claims about the reliability of really tell us which are the best everyone who drives knows the rules their tests to make it more likely that schools? of the road and can drive safely, stan- the test will be purchased. The higher dardized testing could make sure that the score spread, the easier it is to (De)Grading Outcomes students have mastered the basics. A prove reliability. This creates the prob- Why do we give tests? Evaluations tell number of professionals, such as doc- lem: The test writer’s aim is to create a students whether they have achieved tors, lawyers, accountants, real estate spread of marks by asking questions the course outcomes, providing them agents, and others must write stan- not every student can answer. As a with positive rewards for success, dardized tests before being allowed to result, “standardized achievement encouraging them to do more, and enter practice. Such tests can be tests should not be used to evaluate indicating areas needing more work. designed to include a core set of objec- the quality of students’ schooling Testing also provides feedback about tives on which the student must score because the quest for wide score- teaching: whether enough emphasis 100%, because a 60% in surgery just spread tends to eliminate items cover- has been given to major concepts and doesn’t cut it, so to speak. ing important content that teachers

CANADIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION I EDUCATION CANADA 37 EN BREF Les tests standardisés évaluent chez les élèves de toutes les écoles les mêmes aptitudes fondamentales et, par conséquent, il peut sembler juste de have emphasized and students have les utiliser pour effectuer des comparaisons entre les écoles. Mais, ces tests mastered”.3 In other words, questions peuvent-ils mesurer les résultats du programme d’études et reflètent-ils avec covering content that has been a focus précision l’apprentissage de l’élève? Nous permettent-ils réellement de déter- of classroom teaching, and that stu- miner quelles sont les meilleures écoles? Or, les tests standardisés ne seront dents are likely to get correct, are utiles et valables que lorsqu’ils nous permettront d’évaluer ce qui a été enseigné removed from the test. The result is dans la salle de classe, qu’ils poseront des questions neutres qui portent sur ce testing that does not accurately que les élèves ont appris, qu’ils encourageront le recours à des démarches indi- reflect the prescribed curriculum. viduelles et distinctes pour trouver les réponses et qu’ils serviront à améliorer le Eventually, of course, there will be a programme d’études plutôt qu’à stimuler la concurrence entre les écoles. match: as greater emphasis is placed No longer is a house on accountability and testing, teach- with someone else’s answers and are desirable for its ers will work even harder to guarantee told that there is only one correct proximity to a student success – on those tests. One answer.”7 In opposition to the cogni- school; it must be teacher speaks of the challenge inher- tive multi-level approach of the class- a good school as ent in preparing students for testing. room activities, standardized tests proven by standard- “When school began in the fall, we focus on the final step rather than the ized tests. had six weeks to prepare our sopho- learning path, and in doing so, may mores for the test. Teachers were ignore higher-level cognitive skills. Accountability encouraged to abandon the regular There is always a concern that any should be applaud- curriculum and instead devote time single assessment risks an inaccurate ed: accountability to test practice.”4 In short, rather than view of the students’ knowledge and to students, to planning assessments that evaluate skills. On any given day, some stu- teachers, to schools, the curriculum, teachers are planning dents will be sick, overly tired, to society, to the curriculum to match the assessments. depressed, or simply unhappy. As any entire process of The outcomes achieved are no longer teacher can confirm, students bring education. However, those specified by the approved cur- personal issues with them into the it is not clear with riculum, and students are being classroom. In this respect, they are no standardized test- taught how to take tests rather than different from the rest of the popula- ing: exactly who how to learn. tion. “The stress induced in students is accountable for by the conditions of test-taking and what? (De)Grading Student Learning the consequences for test ‘failure’… As teachers are pressured to improve can become self-perpetuating test test scores, and as tests increasingly anxiety, which can cause students to become the classroom focus, what ‘freeze’ or ‘go blank’ and forget infor- type of learning is being emphasized mation they know.”8 Some of these in our schools? Certainly students are difficulties are acknowledged in a learning new skills through standard- statement from the American Educa- ized testing. A writing teacher coaches tion Research Association (AERA), her students towards test success. which cautions against “relying solely “Don’t be too creative. Don’t think on test scores to determine whether a too hard. Only give them what they student should graduate or move on want. Don’t risk. Pace yourself for to the next level.”9 However, standard- limited space and time.”5 It’s easy to ized test scores seem to be used to do anticipate the gaps this will leave in just that. In Ontario, grade 10 stu- students’ education. Critical thinking dents must pass a literacy test or they and creative problem solving, those cannot graduate from high school. essential skills in our modern world, If better test scores require spend- will be less and less valued. Another ing more time in test preparation, teacher bemoans the results. “We’ll teachers will respond to that need, have very successful third-grade read- even though it may come at the ers…who can pass tests…but they also expense of other learning. Nor does need to think creatively, communicate this escape student notice. One stu- effectively and work collaboratively.”6 dent, referring to the statewide test Today’s curriculum asks students given in South Carolina, comments, to perform a myriad of tasks at differ- “All they care about is the…test; they ent cognitive levels. Classroom activi- don’t care if we learn anything”.10 ties engage students in higher order Success at taking tests becomes more tasks of analysis, synthesis and evalu- important than success at learning. ation. Standardized testing does just the opposite. “Children who have (De)Grading Schools been taught to construct their own Standardized testing results are cur- answers to problems…are confronted rently being used in real estate adver-

38 EDUCATION CANADA I CANADIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION tising. No longer is a house desirable “Massachusetts has spent $20 mil- NICOLA E. SIMMONS is a graduate stu- for its proximity to a school; it must lion on the development of the dent and B.Ed. facilitator in the Faculty be a good school as proven by stan- Massachusetts Comprehensive Assis- of Education at Brock University and a dardized tests. Do the results of these tance System, which will be required part-time professor at Humber College tests really tell us which are the best of all tenth-graders beginning in in the Professional Development Depart- schools? 2003.”15 There is no question that ment. Her education interests are wide- In fact, rather than assessing stu- money can be spent to improve educa- ranging, including particular interests dent and school performance, stan- tion; however, one might well ques- in learning styles, participant-centred dardized testing does little more than tion the value of purchasing a $20 learning, and individualized assessment confirm the socioeconomic status of million dollar rubber stamp that says [email protected] students being tested, and in doing so, “Not good enough”. In short, stu- it discriminates against certain dents may have become pawns in an Notes schools. Alfie Kohn, a critic of stan- educational game to grab the avail- 1 Tim Whitnell, “Halton’s Public Schools Holding dardized testing, writes that such tests able glory and funding dollars. In Their Own in Provincial Testing,” Burlington are “unfair because the questions Canada, “Alberta’s version of out- Post, 28 November 2003, p. 4. require a set of knowledge and skills comes-based education…links cash 2 Ulrich Boser, “Teaching to the Test?,” Education more likely to be possessed by chil- bonuses in return for improved test Week. (2001): 1. [Retrieved 16 September 2002, dren from a privileged background. scores at a time of budget cutbacks.”16 fromwww.edweek.com/ew/ew_printstory.cfm It’s more than a little ironic to rely on Perhaps this money would be better ?slug=39align.h19.] biased tests to address educational spent enhancing programmes at 3 James W. Popham, The Truth About Testing: An inequities.”11 schools that have not scored so well, Educator’s Call to Action, (Alexandria, Virginia: The reward system for high-scoring in order to truly improve student Association for Supervision and Curriculum schools may be a strong contributing learning. Development, 2001), 48. factor in the push for standardized 4 Shannon Hughes and Jason Bailey, “What testing, and budget may not be all (De)Grading Assessment Students Think About High-stakes Testing,” that is affected. Are strategies being Just as students, teachers, and schools Educational Leadership 59 (2002): 74. used to exclude students who would- need to be assessed, the tests them- 5 Nancy M. McCracken and Hugh T. McCracken, n’t score well from writing the test? selves need to be assessed. We must “Teaching in the Time of Testing: What Have “Performance of principals and super- not only test curriculum outcomes, You Lost?” English Journal 91 (2001): 30. intendents is often linked to the num- we must create outcomes for the tests 6 Nan Youngerman, “When Vision, Not Test ber of students who reach the bar set themselves, in order to verify that the Scores, Sets School Priorities,” Language Arts by the state. Unfortunately, this may process is worthwhile. A former presi- 79 (2002): 228. mean that it is in an administrator’s dent of the Carnegie Foundation for 7 Diane E. Meaghan and François R. Casas “On best interest to eliminate systematical- the Advancement of Teaching is quot- the Testing of Standards and Standardized ly from the test those students who ed as saying, “The key to problem Achievement Testing: Panacea, Placebo, or probably wouldn’t make the bar… solving is not to figure out the answer Pandora’s Box?” Interchange 26 (1995): 48. some schools have relied on increased to a question that someone else hands 8 Robin H. McBee, “When it Comes to Testing, special education placement and you, but to define the right problem. Why Not Make Lemonade?” The Educational retention in grade.”12 An educated person today is someone Forum 66 (2002): 241. The craving for accountability has who knows the right questions to 9 Debra Viadero, “In Short” Education Week. not resulted in a testing system that ask.”17 Let us ask these questions (2000): 1. [Retrieved 16 September 2002, from provides useful data about schools or about standardized testing: www.edweek.com/ew/ew_printstory.] their success. In New York, a study by 1. Does the test match the enacted 10 P. L. Thomas, “Standards, Standards Every- the state found that “high school curriculum, such that the ques- where, and Not a Spot to Think,” English marks were better predictors of uni- tions on the test evaluate what has Journal 91 (2001): 63 versity marks than commercially or been stressed in the classroom? 11 Alfie Kohn “Poor Teaching for Poor Kids”, bureaucratically prepared tests similar 2. Does the test pose unbiased ques- Language Arts 79 (2002): 251. to those for which there appears to be tions that focus on what students 12 Kathleen A. Steeves, Jessica Hodgson and such a clamour.”13 have learned, and does it encourage Patricia Peterson, “Are We Measuring Student At this point, one might wonder individual and diverse approaches Success with High-stakes Testing?,” The why high-stakes testing is used at all. to answers? Educational Forum 66 (2002), : 233. The desire for accountability is at the 3. Are test results used for programme 13 Meaghan and Casas, 41. root of the trend. As the 1998 Council enhancement rather than school 14 Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, of Ministers of Education (Canada) competition? “Education Initiatives in Canada, 1998: A report says, “Accountability is a key When the above questions can be Report from the Provinces and Territories,” priority.”14 Accountability should be answered with an affirmative ‘yes!’, (1998): 27. applauded: accountability to stu- only then will standardized testing 15 Steeves et al, 231. dents, to teachers, to schools, to socie- receive a passing grade. ★ 16 François R. Casas and Diane E. Meaghan, ty, to the entire process of education. “Renewing the Debate Over the Use of Stan- However, it is not clear with standard- dardized Testing in the Evaluation of Learning ized testing: exactly who is account- and Teaching,” Interchange 32 (2001): 148. able for what? 17 Steeves et al, 230.

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