MythofTesting

Note:Thisarticle,"Tests:Myths&Realities,"isexcerptedfrom
TestingforResults:HelpingFamilies,SchoolsandCommunities
UnderstandandImproveStudentAchievementpublishedbytheU.
S.DepartmentofEducation(2002).WhyTestsAreNecessary.

Testingstudentsisnothingnew.Goodteachershavealwaystried
tomeasurehowwelltheirstudentsarelearningandusedteststo
recognizestudentachievementanduncoverlearningproblems.
Withoutmeasuringstudentachievement,theonlycriteria
governingstudentgradesandpromotionwouldbebehaviorin
classandattendance.

Testinghasonlyrecentlyemergedasanissuebecausetaxpayers
areaskingmoreandtougherquestionsabouttheperformanceof
theirschoolsandstudentsandseekingmoreandbetterinformation
aboutschoolandstudentperformance.Theresultsofteacher
designedexamsandawideassortmentof"offtheshelf"testsare
helpful,buttheyshedlittlelightonschoolperformanceand
academicprogramimpact.HowStudentsLearn:WhatWorks,
WhatDoesn'tWorkAstrongaccountabilitysystemcomposedof
annualtestingkeyedtorigorousacademicstandardsanda
challengingcurriculumtaughtintheschoolprovidesthesortof
informationneededtodeterminewhatworks,whatdoesn't,how
wellstudentsareachieving,andwhattodotohelpthosewhoneed
help.

Astheuseofstandardizedtestsincreasesandparentsarebetter
abletounderstandthedimensionsofschoolandstudent
performance,therewillbegreaterpressureonlowperforming
schoolstoimprove.Thisworriesthosewhomightfeelthat
pressureandsotheyhaveattemptedtounderminethe
accountabilitymovementbychallengingtheusefulnessoftesting.
Theoncecommonsenseassumptionthattestingispartoflearning
isbeingchallengedbymythscreatedtounderminetheeffortto
improveAmerica'sschools.

9MythsAboutTesting

Myth:Testingsuppressesteachingandlearning.

TheReality:Ateacheriseffectivewhenastudentlearns.Itis
impossibletodetermineteachingeffectivenesswithout
determininglearningresults.Ateachercanpresentagreatlesson,
butifthestudentsdonotunderstand,thenthelessonhasnovalue.

Testingstudentsonwhattheyaretaughthasalwaysbeenapartof
teaching.Theprocessoftestingstudentsonwhattheyarelearning
overacourseofinstructionisuniversallyunderstoodand
appreciated.Testinghelpsteachersunderstandwhattheirstudents
need,helpsstudentsunderstandwhattheyneedtolearn,andhelps
parentsunderstandhowtheymighthelptheirchildren.

Myth:Testingnarrowsthecurriculumbyrewardingtest
takingskills.

TheReality:Althoughaqualityeducationreachesfarbeyondthe
confinesofanyspecifictest,annualtestingisimportant.It
establishesbenchmarksofstudentknowledge.Testskeyedto
rigorousstateacademicstandardsprovideameasureofstudent
knowledgeandskills.Iftheacademicstandardsaretrulyrigorous,
studentlearningwillbeaswell.

Myth:Testingpromotes"teachingtothetest."

TheReality:Testingispartofteachingandlearning.Thosewho
saytestinggetsinthewayoflearningframeafalsedichotomy.
Giftedandinspiringteachersuseteststomotivatestudentsaswell
astoassesstotheirlearning.Effectiveteachersrecognizethevalue
oftestingandknowhowtoemploytestingininstruction.

Myth:Testingdoesnotmeasurewhatastudentshouldknow.

TheReality:Inastrongaccountabilitysystem,thecurriculumis
drivenbyacademicstandards,andannualtestsaretiedtothe
standards.Withthisinplace,testsnotonlymeasurewhatastudent
shouldknowbutalsoprovideagoodindicationofwhetherornot
thestudenthasindeedlearnedthematerialcoveredbythe
curriculum.

Myth:Annualtestingplacestoomuchemphasisonasingle
exam.

TheReality:MostAmericansseetheimportanceofvisitinga
physicianforanannualcheckup.Theyalsorecognizethe
importanceofmaintainingahealthylifestyleandmonitoringtheir
healththroughouttheyear.

Annualtestingprovidesimportantinformationonstudent
achievement.Annualtestingenablesteachersandparentstoknow
howbesttoimprovestudentperformanceanddiagnoseproblems
thatmightbeassociatedwithpoorperformance.Ifasingleannual
testweretheonlydeviceateacherusedtogaugestudent
performance,itwouldindeedbeinadequate.Effectiveteachers
assesstheirstudentsinvariouswaysduringtheschoolyear.As
theydothis,theynotonlymonitorstudentachievementbutalso
helptoensurethattheirstudentswillexcelonannualtests.

Myth:Testingdiscriminatesagainstdifferentstylesoftest
takers.
TheReality:Awelldesignedevaluationsystemaccommodates
specialneeds.Evaluatingtheperformanceofallstudentsisnot
easy.Somestudentsdohavetroubletakingtests.Somestudents
scorepoorlyforreasonsoutsidetheclassroom.Agoodevaluation
systemwillreflectthediversityofstudentlearningand
achievement.

Myth:Testingprovideslittlehelpfulinformationand
accomplishesnothing.

TheReality:Agoodevaluationsystemprovidesinvaluable
informationthatcanhelpdiagnoseachievementproblems.Testing
givesinformationthatisnecessaryforteachersandparentsto
makeinformeddecisionsaboutinstructionandcurriculuminthe
classroom,school,district,andhome.Testingisprovesuseful
informationandcanchangethewayschoolsoperate.

Myth:Testinghurtsthepoorandpeopleofcolor.

TheReality:Millionsofyoungpeoplemanyfromlowincome
families,manypeopleofcolorarebeingleftbehindeveryday
becauseoflowexpectationsabouttheiracademicachievement
andinadequatemeasurestodetermineacademicachievement.
Thesearethestudentswhostandtobenefitthemostfromannual
testing.Astrongaccountabilitysystemwillmakeitimpossibleto
ignoreachievementgapswheretheyexist.Moreover,where
testingsystemsarenowinplace,lowincomeandminority
studentsareindeedexcelling.Arecentstudyreportsthatthereare
morethan4,500highpovertyandhighminorityschools
nationwidethatscoredinthetoponethirdonthestatetests.

Myth:Testingwillincreasedropoutratesandcreatephysical
andemotionalillnessinchildren.
TheReality:Theoverwhelmingmajorityofstudentswhodropout
ofschooldosobecausetheyarefrustrated.Theycannotreador
writeorlearn.Testinghelpswiththeearlyidentificationof
studentswhoarehavingtroublelearningsotheymaygetthe
servicestheyneedtosucceed.Testing,inanyform,does
sometimescauseanxiety.Effectiveteachersunderstandthisand
helpstudentsprepareforit.Testingisapartoflife,andyoung
peopleneedtobeequippedtodealwithit.

Note:"Testing:Myths&Realities"isexcerptedfromanlonger
articlepublishedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducation,Testingfor
Results:HelpingFamilies,SchoolsandCommunitiesUnderstand
andImproveStudentAchievement(2002)

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