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Abstract
High stakes testing, in the form of annual standardized state assessments, affects the teaching methodologies of public school teachers (Passman, 2001). This study sought to examine whether teachers prepare students for high stakes assessments by making changes in their teaching methodologies (Jerald, 2006). Thirty teachers received questionnaires containing agreement statements and short open-ended questions about the effects of high stakes testing on how and what they teach. Eight participants were also interviewed to gain greater insight into their opinions on the effects of high stakes tests. Triangulation was used to authenticate the responses and draw conclusions (Hendricks, 2009). The results of the study indicated that some teachers have adapted their teaching methodologies to mirror test structures even if the subject they teach was not included on standardized state tests.
