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Introduction
We are in the midst of an assessment revolution. Many reformers feel that, in order to reform schools, we must develop local, state, and national standards for our students. The plan is to assess these standards with statewide testing programs and to make the results public in the name of accountability. If we do that, it is assumed, reform and improvements will ensue. This has resulted in reform by coercion.
Educators are coerced into becoming instruments of the statewide testing program in order to convince the public that all is well in the schools. This is allowed to happen because test scores are easy for the public to follow; therefore statewide testing programs, even those involving high stakes, are becoming the norm. All 50 states have statewide student testing, and graduation is contingent on performance on statewide exit exams or end-of-course examinations in 19 states (Doherty and Skinner 2003). However, most state tests do not provide trustworthy data on student achievement (Klein and Hamilton 1999).
Stiggins questions the "notion that intimidation by assessment will lead to more effective schools" (1999, p. 192). Education improvement is much more likely to be manifested as a result of proper use of high-quality, classroom-level assessment. As Popham (2001) indicates, we must make student response to classroom assessments central to instructional decision making. It is very important to "ensure that every teacher is gathering dependable information about student learning day-to-day and week-to-week and knows how to use it to benefit students" (Stiggins 1999, p. 193). Meaningful reform will be much more likely under these conditions.
It can be argued that schools do not actually need drastic reform but merely steady improvement at the instructional level. Bracey makes the point quite well that schools in general are in much better condition than the reformers indicate and that many reformers have a political, rather than a school improvement, agenda (2002). The rise in popularity of charter schools and, perhaps, statewide testing provides evidence of public dissatisfaction fueled by politicians with politically motivated and often skewed data. Public opinion is overly influenced by single measures (such as a state test) and by politicians who tell the public what to believe. All this is done in the name of accountability.
Good teachers...