Additional Resources for Classroom Use
Goertz and Duffy, Mapping the Landscape of High-Stakes Testing and Accountability Programs (pp. 4-11)
1. Education Commission of the States web site
http://www.ecs.org
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is an interstate compact whose membership includes state policy makers, state and local school board members, superintendents, higher education officials, and business leaders from 49 states. The ECS web site contains policy briefs and reports on critical education issues, including standards, assessment and accountability, as well as a daily roundup of education news from across the country.
2. Achieve, Inc. web site
http://www.achieve.org
Achieve, Inc. is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization that helps states design and review academic standards and accountability policies, and develop strategies to strengthen public confidence in the education system. Its "Tips for Policymakers" and "Policy Briefs" identify critical education issues and recommend approaches for developing high quality testing systems, effective and appropriate accountability systems, and support for low-performing schools.
3. Heubert, J.P., & Hauser, R.M. (1999). High stakes: Testing for tracking, promotion and graduation. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
This book looks at how tests are used for high-stakes decisions, such as high school graduation and student promotion. It examines common misuses of tests, their political and social context, legal issues surrounding testing, and assessment of special student populations.
Sloane and Kelly, Issues in High-Stakes Testing Programs (pp. 12-17)
1. Project Galileo web site
http://galileo.harvard.edu
The Peer Instruction section of this site, developed by Eric Mazur at Harvard University, describes a method of student-to-student (i.e., peer) instruction in which provocative assessment items are used to foster debate about central science concepts. The instructor then builds on the students' answers (which may vary by peer groupings). The test items are called ConcepTests and are available at the Harvard web site and also in other locations, such as http://www.chem.wisc.edu/~concept/
2. Field-Tested Learning Assessment Guide (FLAG) web site
http://www.flaguide.org/
Constructed as a resource for science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) instructors, this site collects faculty input on the design and use of assessment items. One section, "Matching Goals to CATs (Classroom Assessment Techniques)," is intended to help educators select the most appropriate assessment technique(s) for their courses. To assist in this effort, the authors have generated a list of some of the most commonly identified goals in college SMET courses, based primarily on the extensive research of Angelo and Cross (1993). Each of the goals has been matched to an appropriate CAT.
Abrams et al., Views From the Classroom:
Teachers' Opinions of Statewide Testing Programs (pp. 18-29)
1. National Board on Educational Testing and Public Policy web site
http://www.nbetpp.bc.edu
The National Board on Educational Testing and Public Policy monitors educational testing in the United States. Specifically, the Board seeks to highlight the impact of testing on groups historically underserved by the educational system. This web site contains numerous publications that focus on a variety of testing issues that are of interest to classroom teachers. In addition, [End Page 84] the site posts links to current news articles related to testing.
2. Rose, L.C., & Gallup, A.M. (2002). The 34th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll of the public's attitudes toward the public schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(1), 41-46.
For more than 30 years Phi Delta Kappa has been assessing the public's attitude toward public schools. This year's poll pays particular attention to issues related to testing and, specifically, to the No Child Left Behind Act. The poll's results suggest that the public supports the increased federal role in education and greater reliance on testing that will result from the No Child Left Behind Act.
3. Kober, N. (2002, June). Teaching to the test: The good, the bad, and who's responsible. Test talk for leaders. Center on Education Policy, Washington, DC.
Teachers can extend their knowledge of issues and concerns related to teaching to the test. In this issue, Kober examines various strategies teachers use to prepare students for state tests, and provides recommendations for those strategies that best reflect sound pedagogy. Test preparation practices are classified and discussed in the context of a continuum ranging from bad to middling to good practices.
4. Education Week web site
http://edweek.org
Education Week is an education newspaper that provides teachers with a variety of news reports and perspective on the events, trends, and programs affecting schools and the people who staff them. The site contains links to Teacher Magazine and special in-depth reports such as Quality Counts 2002, which contains individual reports on each state's testing programs and accountability policies.
Horn, High-Stakes Testing and Students:
Stopping or Perpetuating a Cycle of Failure (pp. 30-41)
1. The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) web site http://www.cse.ucla.edu
The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) is a partnership of several universities, testing companies, and research and policy institutes. Its mission focuses on the assessment of educational quality, addressing persistent problems in the design and use of assessment systems to serve multiple purposes. CRESST produces products for practical application in classroom, district, and state assessments.
2. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) web site
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as "the Nation's Report Card," is the country's longest-standing continuous measure of national trends in elementary and secondary student academic achievement. NAEP provides results regarding subject matter achievement, instructional experiences, and school environment for populations of students (e.g., fourth graders) and subgroups of those populations (e.g., Hispanic students).
3. The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University web site
http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu
This web site generally addresses issues assessment of the prospects for justice and equal opportunity under law for racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. Topics discussed on the web page include high-stakes testing, access to college, discrimination in special education, and others.
Gulek, Preparing for High-Stakes Testing (pp. 42-50)
1. Marzano, R.J., et. al. (1999). Essential knowledge: The debate over what American students should know. Aurora, CO: McREL Institute.
This publication contains a collection of research studies on the effects of vocabulary on improving student achievement on standardized tests. This resource provides a comprehensive vocabulary list that is grade level appropriate
2. Center for Performance Assessment, Denver, CO web site http://www.makingstandardswork.com [End Page 85]
The Center offers numerous resources ranging from well-developed performance assessments to scoring rubrics and instructional strategies for classroom use. The Center also has a hotline, called "the test doctor," for questions about educational assessment, accountability, standards, instruction, and curriculum.
Gunzenhauser, High-Stakes Testing and the Default Philosophy of Education (pp. 51-58)
1. Fletcher, S. (2000). Education and emancipation: Theory and practice in a new constellation. New York: Teachers College Press.
Based on his experience as a school teacher and higher education faculty member, Fletcher has written this challenging book in which he articulates a philosophy of education for the multicultural context of contemporary schooling. He addresses several different theories associated with concerns for equity and emancipation in education and provides an alternative philosophy of education based on autonomy and authenticity.
2. Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civic courage (P. Clarke, Trans.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Published after Freire's death in 1997, this book is geared specifically toward educators and is a clear depiction of Freire's philosophy of education. As in his earlier classic work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire places his own philosophy in contrast to the "banking" concept of education. My students at the undergraduate and graduate level have found Freire to be compelling and relevant toward the development of a personal philosophy of education.
3. Noddings, N. (1992). The challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education. New York: Teachers College Press.
This book can be used to generate conversations about the purpose and value of education. Philosopher Nel Noddings develops in this book a vision for education that is a dramatically different approach to schooling. This is both a feminist and a feminine approach to philosophy of education centered around themes of care.
4. Postman, N. (1995). The end of education: Redefining the value of school. New York: Vintage Books.
Despite the disarming title, Postman's book turns out not to be an argument for ceasing the practice of public education but rather an explanation of the importance of having "ends" (purposes, or what he calls "narratives" and "gods") in mind for the practice of education. Postman is engaging and provocative, and in this volume he is particularly concerned with providing arguments for the appropriate place of things such as technology and testing.
Hombo, NAEP and No Child Left Behind:
Technical Challenges and Practical Solutions (pp. 59-65)
1. National Assessment Governing Board web site
http://www.nagb.org/
The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan group whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives, and members of the general public. Congress created the 26-member Governing Board in 1988 to set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Available on the site is information about the subject-area frameworks that specify the structure and content of NAEP assessments. In addition, information about specific policies related to the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and using NAEP to confirm state test results can be found here.
2. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 web site
http://www.nclb.gov/
Answers to questions about the education law signed in 2002 are available on this web site. There is a special section for parents, and easy access to education contact information for each state. Many states also have links from this page to school district performance information.
3. The Journal of Educational Statistics, Vol. 17(2)
The Journal of Educational Statistics (JES) (now titled the Journal of Educational and Behavioral [End Page 86] Statistics) is sponsored by both the American Statistical Association and the American Educational Research Association. This special issue of JES is devoted to NAEP and will be of interest to readers focused on more technical details of how the assessment is analyzed. The issue is intended to familiarize readers with the methods used by NAEP to design the assessment, sample the populations of interest, develop scales for summarizing item responses, estimate characteristics of population distributions, and measure achievement trends. Subscription information: AERA,1230 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-3078.
Gregory and Clarke, High-Stakes Assessment in England and Singapore (pp. 66-74)
1. World Bank Education web site
www1.worldbank.org/education/
The World Bank Group maintains one of the most extensive education web sites. Much of the information appearing on the site was prepared by Vincent Greaney, Thomas Kellaghan, George Bethell, and Hugh McManus—individuals who have written extensively about education and assessment systems. Topics covered include the purposes and functions of examinations, malpractice and counter measures, and standards and testing. Information on the assessment systems used in many countries is also described.
2. Singapore Ministry of Education web site
www.moe.gov.sg/
The Ministry Of Education directs the formulation and implementation of education policies. It has control of the development and administration of the Government and Government-aided primary schools, secondary schools, and junior colleges. It also supervises private schools. This web site includes links to descriptions of the education system, subject information, and the teacher network.
3. UK Department for Education and Skills web site
www.dfes.gov.uk/index.htm
This website includes links to curriculum documents and current policy releases. There is a link to the TeacherNet, which has over 1,900 lesson plans, professional development links, and a discussion site.
Chudowsky and Pellegrino, Large-Scale Assessments That Support
Learning:
What Will It Take? (pp. 75-83)
1. Forster, M., & Masters, G. (2002). Assessment Resource Kit. Australia: ACER Press.
ACER Press, the publishing arm of the Australian Council for Educational Research, publishes and distributes books, tests and resources, including the Developmental Assessment Program, which is being used in several Australian states. Central to the program are progress maps for particular grades and subject areas that provide a description of skills, understandings, and knowledge in the sequence they typically develop. The Assessment Resource Kit includes a collection of accessible booklets that illustrate ways progress maps can serve as a foundation for both classroom and large-scale assessment design. For ordering information see www. acer.edu.au/acerpress/index.html.
2. Falk, B.(2000).The heart of the matter: Using standards and assessments to learn. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
The author explores the complexities of assessment, accountability, and standards-based reform, and their impact on classroom practice. She offers practical strategies for using standards and assessments to support meaningful learning for students.
3. Facets-Based Instruction web site
http://depts.washington.edu/huntlab/
Emanating from The Hunt Lab at the University of Washington, researchers E. Hunt and J. Minstrell have developed instruction and computer-based assessments for subject areas, such as physics, based on models of learning that they refer to as "facets of student thinking." Their approach is based on the idea that students come to instruction with initial ideas and preconceptions that a teacher should identify and build on. [End Page 87]
4. Interactive Multimedia Exercises (IMMEX) web site
http://www.immex.ucla.edu
The IMMEX Project at UCLA has developed software for assessing
complex problem-solving strategies in K-12 science up through medical
school. IMMEX consists of tools for authoring complex, multi-move
problem-solving tasks and for collecting performance data on those
tasks. The moves an individual makes during problem solving are tracked
and can be represented graphically, as well as compared against patterns
previously exhibited by both skilled and less skilled problem solvers.
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