Does high stakes testing make teachers cheat?
The Harvard Crimson reports on a new study that concludes that “teachers and school officials cheat in administering standardized tests in a minimum of 4 to 5 percent of elementary school classrooms.” Although the headline blares that “High stakes tests lead to cheating,” the conclusion is probably not what testing opponents hoped for: The authors, Kennedy School Assistant Professor of Public Policy Brian A. Jacob and University of Chicago Professor Steven D. Levitt, concluded that local policies attributing more weight to standardized testing made it more likely that teachers would cheat… Economics Professor Caroline M. Hoxby 88, who specializes in education, said that it was important to remember that the studys conclusions were based on inferences. Neither of the researchers actually observed teachers tinkering with tests. But even with that limitation, Hoxby said the study adds critical information about the current emphasis on high stakes testing. Before this relatively new era,
