High stakes testing is certainly a classic 'Catch 22'. On the one hand, we
do desire assessments that can measure student's knowledge and skills across
institutions and even across classes within an institution. There is, IMO,
a crying need for 'gatekeeping' procedures in our public schools to assure
that students have met at least minimal standards for advancement and
especially certification (diplomas). On the other hand, such high stakes
testing clearly produces a teaching culture that 'teaches to the test'.
Such a culture severely temps instructors and students to 'cheat' on the
process, and certainly restricts the teaching modes of the instructors. My
first hand experience of this has been in running AP Summer institutes for
Physics B. The first couple of years I had veteran teachers who were really
interested in improving their teaching. Later, with younger and less
experienced teachers, all I heard was a clamor for 'teach us how to teach to
the test!' I refused to do this--concentrating on how to approach a college
level physics course (with emphasis on how to instruct problem solving)--and
was beaten up for this. Not needing such aggravation, I have given up doing
these institutes.
If there is a solution to this, I would suggest it lies in having
standardized tests that are truly worthy of 'being taught to'. To
accomplish that, the teaching community (and especially the educational
research community) needs to be much more involved in the test design.
Rick
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Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
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