High Stakes Testing

Paper Summary:

This paper contends that high stakes testing does not improve education and that major educational decisions should not be based solely on a test score. It shows how in a culture of high stakes testing, educational improvements are largely dictated by the tests and how the emphasis on testing hurts lower income students and students from minority groups. High stakes testing provides only a snap shot of student and school achievement and cannot provide adequate information about school quality or progress.

From the Paper:

"In today's educational climate, and with the passing of No Child Left Behind, many school districts are mandating tests to measure student performance and to hold individual schools and school systems accountable for that performance. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a potent blend of new requirements, incentives and resources, that poses significant challenges for states. The law sets deadlines for states to expand the scope and frequency of student testing, revamp their accountability systems and guarantee that every teacher is qualified in their subject area. NCLB requires states to make demonstrable annual progress in raising the percentage of students proficient in reading and math, and in narrowing the test-score gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students."

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