Author: FairTest

The Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) law, passed by Congress and signed by the President in 1966, gives members of the public the right to obtain certain government records. The law was written to contribute to an informed citizenry that they could better participate in democratic decision making. State have their own FOIA laws […]

Brenda S. Engel, Lesley College This position paper outlines reasons to oppose standardized testing of secondgraders and then suggests a viable alternative. A. Primary school children and standardized testing 1. Tests of children in grade two are likely to be unreliable. Walt Haney of Boston College’s Center for the Study of Testing, for instance, says, […]

“Accountability” has become the fundamental tool for instituting changes in public schools. In most states and districts and through the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, accountability means using standardized test results to trigger labels, sanctions, rewards or interventions for districts, schools, educators or students.This approach has been both insufficient and has had undesirable […]

Proponents of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law have charged critics with creating “myths” about the law and have issued their own “facts.” It’s time to look at the evidence for a reality check on NCLB’s claims of success.[1] THE CLAIM: Proponents say higher test scores prove NCLB is working. THE REALITY: Rising […]

Submitted by fairtest on August 17, 2007 – 4:32pm high stakes k-12

The ITBS and TAP Tests What every CPS Parent needs to know Parents, do you believe that either the Iowa (ITBS) or the high school TAP tests alone accurately measure your child’s abilities? Do you believe that, if your child works hard enough, he or she should be able to “pass” the ITBS or TAP? […]

A multiple-choice test usually has dozens of questions or “items.” For each question, the test- taker is supposed to select the “best” choice among a set of four or five options. (They are sometime called “selected-response tests.”) For example: What causes night and day? A. The earth spins on its axis.B. The earth moves around […]

Criterion-referenced tests (CRTs) are intended to measure how well a person has learned a specific body of knowledge and skills. Multiple-choice tests most people take to get a driver’s license and on-the-road driving tests are both examples of criterion-referenced tests. As on most other CRTs, it is possible for everyone to earn a passing score […]

Human beings make tests. They decide what topics to include on the test, what kinds of questions to ask, and what the correct answers are, as well as how to use test scores. Tests can be made to compare students to each other (norm-referenced tests) or to see whether students have mastered a body of […]

Human beings make tests. They decide what topics to include on the test, what kinds of questions to ask, and what the correct answers are, as well as how to use test scores. Tests can be made to compare students to each other (norm-referenced tests) or to see whether students have mastered a body of […]