Standardized Testing Provides an Inexpensive and Reliable Indicator of

Standardized Testing Provides an meretricious and Reliable Indicator of Student Learning and Achievement The question of legal opinion in the "school system, individual schools, and teachers has evoked strong and sometimes untamed emotions from the educational community, the general public and their legislative representatives"(Brown & Knight, 1994). Assessment found on standardized tests has been looked at very closely over the new-fangled years, and some people have even mentioned that they be eliminated completely. Those who feel traditionalistic methods should be replaced by secondary methods. These people feel that demonstration, exhibition, investigation, oral response, portfolio, and scripted responses are all examples of alternative estimates and should be incorporated in the classroom. They to a fault feel that peer assessment should be incorporated because disciples learn a great deal from each other, and with large student numbers, "the importance o f student feedback increases as the availability of tutor feedback decreases"(Brown & Knight, 1994).G.I Maeroff wrote the first article I read he feels that assessment of students achievement is changing, largely because todays students face a world that entrust demand new knowledge and abilities. "In the planetary economy of the 21st century, students will not only need to visualize the basics, but also to think critically, to analyze, and to make inferences" (Maeroff, 1991). The author clearly identifies that we frequently believe that what get assessed is what get taught and that the format of assessment influences the format of development. depraved to our understanding of how students learn, "many assessments test facts and skills in isolation, seldom requiring students to defend what they already know and can do it in real life situations"(Maeroff, 1991). He feels the problem with standardized tests is that they do not match the emerging limit st andards, and over reliance on this type of assessment often leads to centering that "stresses the basic knowledge and skills" (Maeroff, 1991). The article reassures that rather than changes in instruction toward the prosecute learning that will prepare students for the future, these test will encourage instruction of less cardinal skills and passive learning. "Although the basic skills may be important goals of ... ...nt is expensive and difficult to develop, administer and score, which makes their usefulness for large-scale assessment questionable. If these alternative models achieve comparable reliability and validity, wouldnt they in effect have fit standardized as well? The issue is not whether or not one form of assessment is better than another no assessment model is suited for every purpose. The real issue is choosing appropriately among the variables that apply the most suitable model for the students. It is necessary to determine what information is decent to each purpose before you decide what format that you are issue to teach. The best way to do our students justice is to use as childlike as possible a mixture of all the assessment methods this will allow all the students to show their strengths and weaknesses. BibliographyBrown, S and Knight, P (1994). Assessing Learners in higher(prenominal) Education. Kogan Page, London.Linn, R.L., Baker, & S. B. Dunbar. (1991). Complex, Performance-Based Assessment Expectations and Validation Criteria. Educational Researcher, 20 (8), pp. 15-21.Maeroff, G.I. (1991). Assessing Alternative Assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 73 (4), pp. 273-281).