Discussion 2 - Pressures of State Testing
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School
Liberty University *
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Course
530
Subject
Industrial Engineering
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by AdmiralElectronHornet36
During Modules 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7, you will participate in Discussions
by posting a thread in response to the instructor's prompt and
replying to at least 2 of your classmates' threads. Threads must be
300 words, and replies must be at least 150 words. You should
include at least 1 citation in your initial post and one citation in at
least 1 reply. Remember to include a reference list in current APA
style. See the Discussion Grading Rubric for information on how to
receive full credit for this assignment.
How are the teachers in your area responding to the pressures of state testing
programs?
Do you think that what they are doing is in the best interest of students?
Is
what they are doing the best thing to do in order to raise scores?
*I am not currently a teacher or working in a school setting so I cannot give
any personal testament on this subject, my opinions on this matter are
based on my research.
State-standardized tests are considered high stakes tests because their results impact important
decisions effecting the school, such as how much funding a school receives, whether or not
teachers keep their jobs, and if teachers receive pay raises. State-standardized test results are a
useful tool for making decisions about education. HSTs provide information on what individual
students have mastered and areas where they may need extra help. They also provide a look into
students’ academic achievement at district, state, and national levels (Kubiszyn, 2015). Some
people believe that test scores only increase because educators narrow the curriculum in order to
teach to the test, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. By focusing the curriculum on those
standards, teachers are ensuring that their students gain the necessary skills and knowledge to not
only pass the test, but also be able to move forward in their education. Styron and Styron (2012)
believe that it is possible to teach to the test without narrowing the curriculum to exclude non-
tested subjects. Teachers should teach the curriculum the same way they would if there was no
state testing, but spend a little more time to ensure students’ mastery of the particular topics that
will be on the standardized tests. Because the topics covered on the standardized tests are
essential knowledge required to be taught, taking more time to ensure mastery is important so
that students may build upon their knowledge in higher grades and after graduation.
The No Child Left Behind Act, enacted in 2002, requires that 100% of students meet the
standards of academic proficiency which is measured by HSTs. This meant that failure for
students was no longer an option and that every student must receive the same level of education
regardless of their disabilities or language barriers (Kubiszyn, 2015). In this way, HST has
created educational equality by requiring that all subgroups of students be given the same
education and HST passing requirement (Saminski, 2011).
References
Kubiszyn, B. (2015).
Supplement ch. 2.1:
High stakes testing: types of high-stakes tests
.
Educational testing and measurement, 11th edition: Student Companion Site:
Supplemental chapters.
https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F
%2Fhigheredbcs.wiley.com%2Flegacy%2Fcollege%2Fkubiszyn%2F1119228093%2Fsc
%2FSupp_Ch_2.1_High_Stakes_testing.docx%3Fnewwindow
%3Dtrue&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK
Saminsky, A. (2011). "High-Stakes Standardized Testing: A Panacea or a Pest?"
Inquiries
Journal/Student Pulse
,
3
(1).
http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=373
Styron, J. L. & Styron, R. A. (2012). Teaching to the test: A controversial issue in quantitative
measurement.
Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics 10
(5).
https://www.iiisci.org/journal/pdv/sci/pdfs/HEA561DK.pdf
Reply #1
Dr. Jones, I believe that state-standardized testing has created better teachers. Because high-
stakes testing (HST) results can have powerful effects on whether teachers keep their jobs and
receive funding or pay raises, teachers are held more accountable for being good at their jobs.
This has led to an increase in the amount and quality of professional development available and
required for teachers. More and better professional development means that students will have a
higher quality of learning (Saminski, 2011). Since these high-stakes tests often have high-stakes
consequences, the tests are frequently evaluated for validity and improved for quality testing.
These HSTs are usually thoroughly researched and adapted to meet the changing needs of each
state. “Since high-quality content standards are necessary for high-stakes exams, they have
generally been improved which consequently has improved student learning by specifying
exactly what students ought to know” (Saminski, 2011).
References
Saminsky, A. (2011). "High-Stakes Standardized Testing: A Panacea or a Pest?"
Inquiries
Journal/Student Pulse
,
3
(1).
http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=373
Reply #2
Matt, you made a good point about being able to use the score reports of last
years' students to influence your class this year. I did have some concerns
with this method though. While this may provide insight into areas where you
could improve as a teacher, it is also dependent on the specific students and
their learning styles and abilities. The students this year may come into your
classroom with far better abilities in one particular area than did your
previous class. It is important to remember that instruction should be
differentiated as much as possible to be able to meet the varying needs of
your current students.
I was also concerned to hear that you only recently received scores for last
year's test. I didn't realize there was such a long delay in receiving score
reports for state testing. This seems like it would be a huge hinderance to
the teachers and students. Students who need assistance may not be
identified until almost halfway through the next grade. This means that those
students are not receiving the help they need until the scores are reported.
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