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[Phys-l] High stakes testing (Was:What's the point of teaching to the testwhen it's questions are incorrect?)



Well, when the test is used to deny graduation, it needs to be thoroughly
looked at. But it isn't. Then teacher teach to the test, and ignore
accuracy in the material. The result is that test scores go up, but student
learning actually often goes down. The district test was mandated, and the
correct answers were mandated. Teachers could not correct errors by
regarding the test after errors were found. However you as the teacher can
correct the grading after the fact if it is your own test.

It is not just a matter of 1 question, it is a number of questions, with one
being outrageously wrong even if it is correct according to the book, which
is also wrong.

So far college teachers are not subjected to this kind of scrutiny, and when
they are, a lot of them will become anti-testing. Why shouldn't we have an
anonymous committee making up exams for all courses in the state colleges,
with credit only being given if the students pass the test. Would you like
to submit to that? And what if the test maker for your physics course was
an anonymous biologist? Are you willing to feed students facts that are
wrong just so they can answer a wrong question on a test?

Many of the questions were OK on the test, or I would have put all 30 in the
message. Part of the message was pointed at the idea that you need to
understand some cognitive psychology, and particularly the Piagetian taxonmy
and how they relate to the questions asked. The other part is certainly
nit-picking, but it can be valuable. After all picking nits helps get rid
of lice in your hair, or errors in your questions.

As to high stakes testing, why not go back to the old NY State system where
the Regents exam was only required for the state diploma? This provides
some testing, and the parents can then make the decisions based on published
school test scores. Combined with the option of transferring to another
school, this would satisfy the conservatives. But if you have school
vouchers, then any school accepting them should be subject to the state
testing. The same should also be true of charter schools.

And where is there evidence that this endeavor has actually improved the
students who are going to college? We have had a number of years of this,
and professors complain that students are still coming in lower and lower.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


I'm not sure what the point is of this thread (or why it was offered). We
have all written bad questions, and we can all nit-pick the questions of
others to death (often the modus operandi of this list). I wrote one
today,
but luckily had a 'none of the above' choice that I'll accept in addition
to
the answer I intended.

If not through testing, how are we to assess public (taxpayer provided)
education? The 'trust the teachers, they're professionals' might work for
the group on this list, but everyone here also knows of some other
teachers
who should not be trusted to 'do their thing', at least not if the welfare
of the students is to be a priority. So, I am waiting for the anti-test
folks to provide a reasonable and trustworthy alternative to standardized
testing. That any such test will have some 'questionable' questions is
unfortunate, but almost inevitable--at least someone will find something
questionable about almost any question used.