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STUDENT TEST SCORES.
Term Paper ID:30732
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Essay Subject:
Discusses use of standardized tests to measure student performance.... More...
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7 Pages / 1575 Words
6 sources, 16 Citations,
MLA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses use of standardized tests to measure student performance. Refers to views of educators on best methods of perfomance assessment. Need for a more comprehensive means of evaluating students than offered by a standardized test. Uniform standards and student diversity. Critical thinking skills vs. memorization skills. Dangers of standardized testing as the sole measure.
Paper Introduction:
Ron Brandt’s “On Performance Assessment: A Conversation with Grant Wiggins” discusses how a system of performance assessment should be established that will enhance learning and achieve its objectives of offering meaningful quantifiable scores. Essentially, Grant Wiggins (who was interviewed by Brandt) offers a version of performance assessment that can be used as a more accurate instrument of assessment than standardized multiple-choice tests.
First, educators have to identify a precise set of criteria for evaluating the progress of students. Furthermore, a scoring process also has to be established that match this set of criteria (Wiggins in Brandt 36-7). This component provides performance assessment with a degree of objectivity and reliability—one of the key aspects that have made standardized tests
Text of the Paper:
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In this assessment model, teachers and students collaboratewith one another to define the criteria of assessment and the objectives.Furthermore, the students are responsible for documenting their work andsharing their development with their peers. Fundamentally, these tests transform teachers into unthinkingadministrators of practice tests whose individuality and creativity arecompletely disregarded. During the mid-198 s, the New Standards Project(NSP) not only brought together educators including administrators,educational professionals and teachers, but also provided a forum forteachers to voice their opinions and provide samples of work that can beincorporated into the performance assessment system. Thus,quantifiable data can be produced to demonstrate the students' learningpatterns (32). Essentially, theseteachers sought to create an objective scoring structure by collaboratingwith one another and comparing their work with the students (4). Some statesenforce high-stakes testing programs that essentially punish or rewardschool districts and schools for their performances (32). 1999: 191-8. Third,multiple samples of work from the students' portfolios should be evaluatedfor the assessors to obtain a comprehensive picture of the students'overall performance (Wiggins in Brandt 36). In his article, "Tests that Cheat Students," Alfie Kohn argues thatthe use of standardized tests to improve educational standards and increaseaccountability has an adverse impact on teachers and students. "Tests that Cheat Students." The New York Times 9 Dec. Furthermore, students who are motivated solely byexternal rewards are not encouraged to develop their creativity andoriginality. Ron Brandt's "On Performance Assessment: A Conversation with GrantWiggins" discusses how a system of performance assessment should beestablished that will enhance learning and achieve its objectives ofoffering meaningful quantifiable scores. The problem with the reliance on test scores toassess learning is that high test scores on standardized multiple-choicetests do not reflect the students' true learning potential. Considering the growingdiversity of the student population in the U.S., it is important to createan assessment instrument that does not seek to impose uniform standards onall students. Therefore, samples of differentpieces of work will provide an accurate picture of the students' truepotential. Althoughstandardized multiple-choice tests project an image of assessing studentsbased on reliable and objective criteria, many of these standards areinappropriate for students of the individual grade levels. More importantly, teachers shouldempower students by providing the latter with an active role in classroomassessments. In his article, "Assessment, Student Confidence, and School Success,"Richard J. Rather, the emphasis on the day-to-day classroom instruction andassessment can help teachers and students improve their learningenvironment. Elizabeth Spalding's "Performance Assessment and the New StandardsProject: A Story of Serendipitous Success" documents the effort byeducators to establish an objective performance assessment system that canbe used in all schools. "On Performance Assessment: A Conversation with Grant Wiggins." Educational Leadership May 1992: 35-7.Kohn, Alfie. 19 Jul. Available: pdkintl.org/kappan/kspa 6.htm.Stiggins, Richard J. 1993: 1-3.Kohn, Alfie. During these conferences, teacherswere encouraged to express their opinions and demonstrate their teachingactivities. Therefore, Stiggins provides anassessment approach that seeks to improve students' learning by boostingtheir self-confidence and sense of responsibility towards their learningprocess. More significantly, standardizedtests have encroached into the classrooms where teachers help students takepractice tests in order to increase their chances of success in the actualtests. Stiggins offers a practical suggestion that challenges theprevalent notions underlying standardized tests: Involving students inclassroom assessments. This component provides performance assessment with a degree ofobjectivity and reliability-one of the key aspects that have madestandardized tests so popular among policymakers, educators and the public.Second, several judges should be involved in evaluating the performance ofthe students in order to ensure "high inter-rater reliability" (Wiggins inBrandt 36). Internet. As Kohn points out, the deterioration in the quality of educationoccurs because of these "high stakes" tests. "Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools: Over-reliance on Standardized Testing Does More Harm than Good." American School Board Journal Oct. "For Best Results, Forget the Bonus." The New York Times 17 Oct. Essentially, when school subjects are overshadowed by theprospects of rewards and punishment, students lose their intrinsicmotivation to learn. Instead of pushing students to workindividually on questions composed by testing agencies and compete with oneanother for high scores, Kohn's model of learning empowers students tochoose their topics of interest and cooperate with one another (3). Online. In fact, the excessive focus on improving at test scores detracts fromteachers' creative and effective efforts to create a stimulating learningenvironment for their students. Essentially, students who donot pass the tests are not allowed to move to the next grade level orgraduate. Finally, the use of rewardsto encourage students to study also creates a competitive environment thatincreases pressure and anxiety for students, thus undermining theircapacity to function normally. "Assessment, Student Confidence, and School Success." Phi Delta Kappan Nov. Because teachers and students are pressured to improve theirscores in these "high-stakes" tests, they resort to unethical tricks inorder to excel (Kohn 1). Alfie Kohn's article, "Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools: Over-reliance on Standardized Testing Does More Harm than Good," highlights theharmful effects of using standardized tests to improve learning. They limit their effort to acquiring the rewards and do notchallenge themselves to reach higher standards. Furthermore, thetype of questions on the standardized tests generally test students'abilities to memorize isolated facts (1). Teachers are compelled to take time away from their sophisticatedand creative lessons in order to practice for the tests. First, teachers have to learn how to set upclassroom assessments by diagnosing the needs of their students anddefining the objectives of assessments. Essentially, they were treated as educational professionalswhose opinions and work were valuable to the community (Spalding 9). However, Kohn believes that centering learning around the students'performance during assessments destroys the students' natural desire tolearn (2). When teachers enable students to chooseeducational activities of their choice and challenge them to do independentresearch and documentation, they provide a positive learning experiencethat will benefit their students in the long run (Kohn 1). However, forcing studentsto perform well at standardized tests does not necessarily address theunderlying causes of poor academic performance. Furthermore, a scoring process alsohas to be established that match this set of criteria (Wiggins in Brandt 36-7). Critical components oflearning such as teacher and student motivation are ignored in thenationwide call for standardized tests (192-3). Although teachers provided manysamples of high-quality performance assessment tasks, they were unable tobreak down the individual elements of the activity to demonstrate thestudents' performance and thus establish an objective scoring system(Spalding 5). It is little wonder that the morale of teachers andstudents has declined significantly in the classroom. Thus, the subjectivity of the grading of a single teacher willbe reduced with the inclusion of other teachers' perspectives. (in Brandt 36-7). As Wiggins point out aptly,many people do not perform consistently. Stiggins questions the effectiveness of standardized tests inimproving learning and offers an alternative system of assessment. 1999: 32-4.Kohn, Alfie. A critical part of the challenge for these educators lies intheir desire to integrate the high quality learning that is reflected inperformance assessments with an objective scoring criteria and standardstypically associated with standardized tests. In his article, "For Best Results, Forget the Bonus," Alfie Kohnchallenges the underlying premise of using rewards and punishments tomotivate students to excel at their schoolwork. Learning essentiallyrevolves around students' ability to obtain high grades at regular classassessments in order to win gold stars and praises from their teachers (2). In manystates, standardized tests are basically used to pressure teachers andstudents to improve their academic performance. Essentially, Grant Wiggins (whowas interviewed by Brandt) offers a version of performance assessment thatcan be used as a more accurate instrument of assessment than standardizedmultiple-choice tests. Works CitedBrandt, Ron. To many people, the NSP ultimately failed in its objective of creatingan objective performance assessment system. However, as Kohn points out, these superficial standardized testsessentially test the students' memorization skills of individual facts anddisregard their critical thinking skills. Ultimately, testscores are meaningless when they reflect students test-taking skills, nottheir true potential. First, educators have to identify a precise set of criteria forevaluating the progress of students. 2 . In spite of this failure, the NSP achieved an important objective ofovercoming the isolation of teachers. In response to criticism that performance assessments do not offerobjective standards that can be generalized to all schools in the U.S.,Wiggins argues aptly that standardization does not acknowledge the diverseneeds of the students in the U.S. 1999: 1.Spalding, Elizabeth. Kohn's alternative version of a classroom environment that involvesthe three C's-"choice, collaboration and content" strikes at the premiseunderlying standardized assessments. "Performance Assessment and the New Standards Project: A Story of Serendipitous Success." Phi Delta Kappan 81.1 (2 ): 1- 12. Multiple-choice standardized tests are popular among educators, policymakers and thepublic because they offer an objective and reliable scoring system.
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