Standardized Testing has its merits in ensuring that standards are met by schools. They can also give an indication of how individual students are performing within the schools so that areas of weakness can be identified and so specific resources may be allocated to these schools.
However, many questions about the validity and reliability of such tests in assisting and planning instructional goals have been raised. According to Koretz (2008), studies suggest that standardized teat scores may be higher than the students’ understanding of the material. Also research has not shown a link between increased standardized testing and increased reading achievement, (Afflerbach, 2004). In fact, studies have shown standardized testing to have the effect of catering positively to a minority of students while consequently leading to a portion of low income and minority students dropping out of school (Darling-Hammond 2003). Further compounding the effect of such tests on students is that they can diminish both their self-efficacy for learning and their motivation to attempt academic pursuits (Nichols & Berliner 2008).
For these reasons, Authentic Testing may be more suited to catering for individual students’ needs since it involves close and intensive teacher interaction with students, with ongoing assessment developed by teacher and students. Blogs and wikis can allow for this intensive interaction despite it being online. In such a situation the teacher makes qualitative judgments about students’ performance based how they respond to posts made by the teacher and other students and evaluation is continuous,to test understanding of course content. This is generally a more holistic method of gathering information about students’ performance and developing strategies to assist them in the classroom.
Reference
Vacca, R.T., Vacca, J.L., Mraz, M. Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum. 10th Edition (2010)
Syndy Jahoor
I agree with your views on assessment. In the Caribbean we are too steeped in tradition and have been consumed with standardised testing as an assessment tool. We neewd to keep in mind that students have multiple intelligences and standardised tests do not cater for the majority of our students. We need to have authentic assessments which cater for addressing the needs of students. Portfolios have been gaining in popularity and students need to be provided with the rubrics so that they can provide a rationale for selecting certain materials for their portfolio.
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