Whats driving the ever-increasing emphasis on standardized test scores?
Politicians have focused on an issue that they think appeals to voters. It’s seen as good to be “tough on schools.” Public schools are in great danger. The notion that test scores equal quality means that money will flow to schools that have the greatest increase in test scores. Money will flow out of those schools that don’t do well. This accountability system establishes an underlying mechanism for market forces to take over education. Our nation seems to be applying the same regulatory model to schools that we apply to underperforming savings and loan institutions. In the future, will regulators go in and seize non-performing schools, dissolve their assets, and sell them to the highest bidder? What are the consequences for students? Policy-makers have failed to anticipate the consequences of turning classrooms into test-drilling centers. If they were really concerned about student-centered learning, they’d be listening to the research community about the effects of this testing. We
