The Arizona Republic supplies a handy summary of testing information called, "Which Tests Matter?"
Arizona students take two types of standardized tests.
• Norm-referenced tests, such as the Stanford 9, allow parents to compare their child's academic achievement with those across the country. They are always timed.
• The Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards is a standardized test but is not timed. It shows parents how well students are mastering the state's grade-by-grade learning goals and how their child and his school compares with children and schools across the state...
The idea of using standardized tests to hold schools and teachers accountable is nothing new in this country, said Thomas Haladyna, an Arizona State University West education professor and testing researcher. The public has always wanted to know that children are learning in school, Haladyna said.
• America's students first began taking standardized tests in the 1850s. It was an essay test.
• The first multiple-choice standardized test was the Stanford 1 in 1923.
• Before they were hired, teachers once had to stand on a stage where they were grilled to make sure they knew the answers to standardized questions.
Posted by kswygert at April 12, 2004 11:55 AM