FairTest: You can't judge learning with a standardized test

[zadeh79]

A lot of experts in the field of cognitive science disagree that conventional IQ tests , and standardized tests are measures intelligence. More recently, it has been shown by at least two studies, that measure of fluid intelligence have increased under short term, working memory, training sessions. The latest study was from Chinese researchers, whom showed a highly significant increase in fluid problem solving after a couple weeks of WM training. Your intelligence can increase temporarily.

[Andy4315]

My father was a used car salesman and he was highly offended by people judging a used car by their mileage . Judging children by standardised tests is as prejudiced as judging people by  their looks .

[blueskydrive]

@dobermuffin As you move through an increasingly rapidly changing worldscape, you'll need all the critical thinking, creative approaching, and problem-solving you can muster.

[blueskydrive]

@dobermuffin The question isn't whether alternatives to tests are cheap or fast, but whether they are relevant and accurate. If we consider the full cost of standardized testing: not only materials but also student and teacher time devoted to preparing for them, they are extremely costly. If they are inaccurate or incomplete then that cost it multiplied. If our priority is to correctly assess our children's learning, we should properly prioritize spending.

[dobermuffin]

What we need to remember is that there are more things to consider than simply if these tests accurately measure learning. There's time, money, and equality to consider. The replacement for scan-tron tests needs to be cheap, fast, and fair for anyone taking the test. Once you've involved people to "judge" a students learning- budget vanishes, prejudices abound, and time goes out the window.

I'm a high school student soon to be a Junior. I don't enjoy tests. There just isn't a better way.

[dobermuffin]

I would definitely agree that testing needs to change. Standardized tests don't work very well, and the stressful "steam-cooker" atmosphere they produce is counter-productive.

Unfortunately, I just don't see any other way to fairly test students. Individual teachers have biases, "creativity" isn't needed for students to be successful in life, and the way their doing it now is the fairest way to test everyone on the subjects tested. I don't like it- I just don't see a practical alternative.

[drippingDuck2]

LOL then how do we test "creativity"

[kreshna81]

@drippingDuck2 Geez, a simple search on google or wikipedia would tell you there are many ways to measure creativity. Be more creative and do some research before leaving an LOL comment next time...

[gdawgrapper]

While I agree that the education system in America has gaping flaws, I think that its success is unfairly judged in comparison with virtually every other country. Why? We are the only country that tests everybody. So when America's high school students' skills are compared to those around the world, we look worse because 100 percent of our students are being compared to only the best in the other countries. Something to think about.

[juuggernaut]

Testing can identify problem kids. But the way tests are used now they're a fraud because their predictive value is LESS than that of simply using grades. Why use an expensive tool when a better tool/data set already exists? Instead wealthy parents get their offspring into college more easily because they can afford expensive prep classes. School time is wasted and not spent learning to use reason, to practice, to investigate. No wonder the US compares so extremely poorly to other nations.

[youpie12]

Multiple choice questions are an insult to intelligence. Essay writing and solving problems with extended response should be used to judge students' progress. Who better than teachers can assess the students? It is time to move away from for profit companies to create tests and evaluate students. Teachers can be paid by the states to grade students' reading, writing and math.

[dotyrs]

Well, youpie, this is already happening. Please do some research on "subjective" and "objective" testing! Students are, indeed, being graded on "essay writing" and "solving problems with extended response." "For profit companies" do NOT create standardized K-12 tests! ALL of the items are created by the school systems. Period. "For profit" companies simply help to collect the data. They do NOT create the tests!

[youpie12]

Illinois just made the decision to "rescore" the ISAT due to obvious flaws. Standardized tests are a political tool used to make parents believe the governement is acting for education. Why not use the money spent by the military for education?

And follow the friends of the CEO's company banking most of the money for testing. You will understand why the NCLB law was created...

[Neimuar]

The video argues that applying what one has learned is more important than filling in bubbles. If a student cannot correctly answer test questions about material they have learned, that directly contradicts the notion of applying learned material. I will be researching the information on your website for answers but what I have seen so far makes me question whether what the group advocates is grounded in logic.

[angelicsoprano]

AMEN!

[snarliest1]

Totally agree with the sentiment, but c'mon, would it have been so hard not to split an infinitive in the narration?? ("..to quickly fill in bubbles on a test answer sheet...") Anybody pitching education reform should get the grammar right! That said: Right on.

[superalessandro]

Actually the grammar prescription about "split infinitive" has been introduce arbitrarily by English scholars in the 18th century in order to emulate Latin grammar, where also some forms of this type are forbidden (they are not really forbidden, simply they don't appear in the texts from the Golden Age of Latin) .

[uistatman]

FairTest wants everyone to be afraid of standardized tests but they fail to mention the utility of these tests. No reasonable person would suggest there are no short comings but come on, all FairTest does is say something is bad not what is better. And are "performance" tests better? Can someone say 1 performance can generalize to all others? All methods of assessment have pros and cons not just standardized assessments.

[CForesta]

Thank you for this video. I like the images of the children doing things and I think the voice over was clear and well said. Bravo Fair Test! Carol