Who would have ever thought the history of testing was so complex? Not I. I guess I never thought about who really dreamed up testing, and what purpose it served. Although I understand the value of some testing, the pros and the cons, I almost get mad when I think of the creators and what testing has evolved into. Seems like there is a test for everything. From getting out of kindergarten to getting out of college. It's almost like they want to keep you there. To what point does one final test make? Just so you can move on, improve yourself , then test again? and test again? Seems like a vicious cycle, one that I am personally tired of and one that doesn't ever seem to end.

Amy, as I see it, testing does have its plus side in some ways. It shows growth; it helps us measure our accomplishments and determine whether or not we have passed some benchmark. For example, in the GED lab, students pretest and posttest in the lab setting in one of the five subject areas until they are finally ready to go the the testing center and take the GED test in that subject area. After they pass each of the five subject area tests, they have earned their GED, and they can graduate. They walk across the stage and receive a "diploma." It is really a very organized system, and it makes good sense. It makes much more sense for some people than our normal high school classes. I really don't think it is a bad alternative. Each student is able to progress at his/her own pace. It brings many students a great deal of personal satisfaction, but for others it carries all the disappointments and frustrations of high school. Some students are able to zip right through, and with others it takes years. Some enroll in the program and then quit again and again.

Rebecca,
I have noticed that for some of our ADD/ADHD students who have difficulty with the homework game, but are successful with content, the GED program is their ticket. As we are all aware, there are some teachers that feel that if you do not jump through their hoops you do not deserve an A or B in their classes. On the other hand there are students who can play the homework game, but never really learn the content. Who is the most deserving of the passing grade. Can we truly base competence on only one or two types of evaluation?

A student's work in the classroom usually shows competence. But it can't just be homework.

Nor just tests. A good balance and a good educator can help each student progress and show growth, as long as that child is willing to do his/her part.

A good balance of testing types is essential, but more importantly, there needs to be a balance of teaching types(i.e. learning styles considered). Without this a teacher can never truly measure how much a child knows. So many of the practices we use to assign grades are actually giving students points for responsibility rather than mastery. Some teachers don't have a clue about measurement.

Jackie, I see what you are saying. Student learn differently, so Teachers should use various teaching strategies. Empower all by using every means possible. Test, yes, but make the test questions relevant to the life experiences of the students.

Jackie and Billy,
You have expressed my sentiments exactly. However, why is it that all of this needs to be a number game? I have know many extremely intelligent people that have felt unworthy because they cannot perform in testing situations.

At this point, testing is seen as accountability for the teaching profession. There has to be a system in place to show the job is being done. Yes, there are classroom observations but some principals do not take these seriously. I do not feel it should rely on testing alone because I have had students before who were excellent students in the classroom but did not do well on the test. For those people who do not test well, they have a long journey in front of them when it comes to education. This is a difficult dilemma. If there is no standardized testing then assessment often times becomes very subjective. Take the K-2 Assessment for example. There are several parts to these primary assessments in order for a student to be considered on grade level. One of them is that they have to read to a certain level but then they also have to retell the story. Retelling can become subjective on a teacher's part. I've heard many teachers say "Okay that's close so I'll give you credit." Then on the flip side, there are teachers who expect the answer verbatim in order for the child to get credit. Who knows the answer?

I agree with Rebecca when she says that when used correctly, testing can be a good thing. For example, if we actually used assessments to assess what we are teaching, how many students are grasping the concepts, what we may need to spend more time on or move through faster, our teaching would be so much more powerful. Data can be a double-edged sword...severly injuring some students who are not able to succeed on an test meant for the "average" child (whatever that means) but can be a source of understanding and improvement for both educators and students alike when used as a reflective tool. Rather than focusing on how many students pass a test, we should be focusing more on why they are or are not passing the test in order to make improvements.

Did you notice the parallel scenario of ETS? Low scores from African-Americans were predominantly from the South and from the poorest schools. Then they figured low scores were from the poorer families. Then low scores were from low achieving students and not poorer families or from the poorer schools. In light of this, the feds said an expenditure of resources into the schools was not the answer, but busing was (160-161).

I think we are stuck in a rut singning the same song where blame is being cast. It seems to me that teaching and instructional strategies may need an overhaul. Our school district sent home the "failure to meet AYP four years in a row letter" stating that staff development would be intensified. Here we go...

No kidding, I didn't realize that it all began so far back. I thought it was interesting to read about the origination of the SAT and IQ tests. I think its crazy how people can believe that one test can decide so much as a person's future.