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TESTING...TESTING...TESTING
Introduction...
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"How' d you do
on the test?" American students ask that question more often than
students anywhere else in the world....because we give our students
more tests than anyone else.
Teacher-made tests, district tests, state tests, the National Assessment
of Educational Progress, the PSAT, the SAT, the ACT... the list of
tests our children take in public schools goes on and on and on.
Some students are tested more than others. Kids in the inner city
generally take more standardized, multiple-choice tests than their
peers in the suburbs. Since they frequently score lower on these exams,
more testing doesn't necessarily produce more learning. |
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test to measure intelligence and achievement. We also test students
to make judgments about their schools and their teachers. |
The
most appropriate use of testing is for diagnosis: to understand weaknesses
and correct them. However, we also use test results in many other
ways: to select or eliminate students from programs and schools; to
label ("she's gifted, and he's not"); to distribute rewards (college
admission, for example), and to hold schools accountable.
Two conflicting trends are apparent today. On the one hand, many forces
are urging more tests, specifically national exams in reading and
math. Leading the call is the President of the United States. 
Others, however, are trying to develop alternatives to standardized,
multiple-choice tests. They favor "Exhibitions,"which are public presentations
by students,and "Portfolios," which are collections of a student's
best work. When done correctly, these approaches teach even as they
evaluate. |
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Do
we need more tests? With all the testing schools already do, perhaps
if they did a better job with the information that's already available,
we wouldn't need to spend more time (and money) on more tests.
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Original
Airdate: January, 1997
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