Background 2
Definition 3
History 4
Opposition to Testing 5
Frequency of Tests 7
Norm-Referenced v. Criterion Referenced Tests 9
“Reliability” and “Validity” 10
“Standardized Test” Defined 12
High Stakes Testing Defined 13
Categories of tests 14
Assessment vs. Testing 16
Standardized Testing Good – Educational Crisis 17
US Educational System Not Competitive 18
Black-White Achievement Gap 19
Standardized Testing Good -- General 21
Framework – Should Reduce, Not Eliminate, Standardized Tests 22
Generally Valuable 28
No Alternative to Testing 29
Con Evidence is Biased 30
Common Core Tests Good 31
Valuable to Develop Test Taking Skills 32
Improvements in Education 34
Academic Achievement 38
Minority and Disadvantaged Students 40
Gifted Enrollment 41
Communicating Assessment of Academic Skills 42
A2: Kids Spend Too Much Time on Testing 44
A2: Unfair Way to Assess Teachers 45
A2: Doesn’t Benefit Specific Kids 46
A2: Tests Measure Poorly 50
A2: Tests Don’t Measure What Students Need to Learn 52
A2: Teachers Oppose 53
A2: Rote Learning/Spitting Back Information 54
A2: Bad to Punish a Student for One Test Score 56
A2: Culltural and Racial Bias in Testing Subject Matter 57
A2: Teaching to the Test 59
A2: Special Needs Students 61
A2: Teachers Lack Knowledge of Testing 62
A2: Data Quality Inadequate 63
A2: Poor Test Design 64
A2: Teachers Cheat 66
A2: Too Much Pressure on Kids 67
A2: Too Much Instructional Time is Wasted on Testing 69
A2: Narrows Curriculum to Math and Science 70
A2: Accountability Provisions Bad 71
A2: Generally Not Fair 72
A2: Puts Pressure on Teachers 73
A2: National Curriculum Bad 74
A2: Corporate Control of Education Bad 75
A2: Surveillance Bad 80
Keep Tests/Use them Better 82
Teacher Education/Training/Teacher Performance 83
Education Impacts 85
Common Core Good 86
Common Core Improves Education 87
Common Core Improves Education – Math & Science 91
Common Core Improves Educational Competitiveness 95
Data Collection 105
Diverse, Local Standards Bad 106
Improved Education/Education Reform 108
A2: Reduced Creative Thinking 111
Con Evidence is Flawed 114
We Should Improve it, Not Abolish It 119
Standardized Testing Bad -- General 121
Won’t Solve the Root Cause 122
Private Industry 123
Urban Over-Testing 127
Undermines Education – Time Trade-Off 128
Undermines Creativity 130
Alienates Students 132
Alienates Kids 134
Hurts Lower-Skilled Students 136
Hurts Minorities 137
Hurts Poor & Minorities 141
Student Morale 142
Time Trades-Off 143
Cost Trades-Off with Instructional Resources 146
Commodification 148
Implementation Problems 150
Tests Don’t Measure Key Skills 151
Teaching to the Test 153
Poor Design 156
Narrow Education/Undermines Curriculum Development 158
Teacher Morale 160
Cheating 161
A2: Need a Way to Assess Teachers 162
A2: Job Skills 164
A2: Improves Student Performance 165
A2: Need Standardized Graduation Requirements 168
A2: Increases Technology Use 170
A2: Need to Improve Cognitive Ability 171
A2: Need to Assess Students to Improve Education 173
A2: Test Scores Increase Achievement 175
A2: Test Scores Needed to Improve Schools for Minorities 176
A2: Need to Test Kids to Tailor Education 177
A2: Not That Much Time Spent on Testing 178
Critique of “Achievement Gap” 179
Achievement Focus Bad 180
Standardized Testing Bad – No Education Crisis 181
A2: Educational Crisis 182
A2: International Competitiveness 184
A2: Schools are Failing 187
A2: Minority Students Failing 193
A2: US Students Failing on International, Standardized Tests 195
A2: 2010 PISA 196
A2: 2012 TIMMS 198
Standardized Tests Bad -- Privatization 200
Privatization 201
Corporate Control Bad 203
Data Driven Approaches Destroy Value to Life 208
Standardized Tests Bad -- Common Core Testing Bad 211
Surveillance 212
Closing Public Schools 216
Critical Thinking 217
A2: Common Core Testing Supports Standards That Improve Education 227
A2: Common Core Improves Teacher Quality 229
A2: Common Core Doesn't Mandate a Curriculum 231
A2: Common Core Strengthens US Competitiveness 232
A2: Need Common Core to Solve Income Inequality 236
Common Core Language Standards Bad 238
Corporate Control Impact Backlines 241
Related – College Standardized Admissions Tests 247
Required Standardized Admissions Tests for College Good 248
Should Improve, Not Abandon, Admissions Tests 249
Should Develop Effective Standardized Admissions Tests 251
Should Develop Alternatives – Murray 253
Affluence Admission Benefit Now 254
SAT A Counterweight to Affluence Admissions 255
Many Types of College/University Standardized Admission Tests 256
Standardized College Admissions Tests Useful 257
Should Use Standardize Subject Tests 258
SAT II and AP Tests Useful in Admissions 259
ACT Plausible Standardized Test Alternative 260
AP & IB Tests 263
A2: Subject Tests Don’t Measure Skills 264
A2: Wealthy Can Afford Test Prep 266
Required Standardized Admissions Tests Bad 268
SAT Is a Standardized Test 269
Story of David and Michael 270
SAT Test Background 272
“Test Optional” Background 274
SAT Has a Substantial SES Bias 275
SAT Has a Cultural Bias 279
Racial Bias 280
SAT Tests a Limited Set of Skills 281
A2: Foreign Students Provide Diversity 282
A2: No SAT Requirement Lowers Quality of the Incoming Class 283
A2: Helps Kids Who Don’t Go to Elite Prep Schools 284
A2: Use ACT/ACT Good 285
A2: Use SAT Subject Tests 287
A2: Use K-12 Standardized Tests 288
Test Optional Boosts Diversity 289
Grades Best Predictor of College Success 291
A2: Getting Rid of SAT Shifts to Achievement Testing 294
A2: New (2005) SAT is Better 295
A2: Should Use AP Tests 297