In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

Teachers unions split on standardized testing

(BBC) Major teaching unions in the U.K. are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to SATs (standardized math and English tests for 11-year olds). The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) have asked the government to scrap the tests and replace them with teacher assessments. "The current system has resulted in thousands of children moving to the next phase with misleading information about their ability," said NAHT general secretary Mick Brookes. The other major teachers union - NASUWT - sides with the government in wanting to keep the tests. If successful, the boycott will be the same time as the general election.

1.

Public debate - Do standardized test = better performance?

Helium – Public online forum based out of Andover, Maryland.
Standardized tests are supposedly done to track and indicate student progress - something to benefit the student and their family. So when the debate about the validity of these tests is raised, it is important the public get involved. This site is a public online forum, and it asks the question if these tests are worth it. Members of the public can vote yes or no, as well as elaborate on their view.

2.

Standardized testing damages education.

FairTest – Boston-based group advocating for less merit put on test scores.
This advocacy group believes that the importance organizations put on standardized testing - making the results a primary resource for curriculum and administrative decisions - is unfair to students. The group argues those with disabilities or special needs are especially at a disadvantage. Those from low-income families or minority backgrounds, whom are unable to spend as much resources preparing for standardized tests, are more likely to be retained in the same grade or given a watered-down curriculum - only further keeping the student from getting proper education.

3.

Standardized tests affect teachers too.

Mid-Western Educational Research Association - A group of academics from universities in midwestern U.S.
Students aren't the only ones affected by standardized tests - teachers are too. Dr. Amelia Brady studies teachers that teach at schools with high-stakes and low-stakes tests. Teachers from schools that offer high-stakes tests found that their curriculum became less focused on giving students a good education and more on preparation for the test. Student involvement in the class also declined. For those at schools with low-stakes tests, they had more freedom in their teaching style, their curriculum came from a diverse number or sources and they found the classroom to be more relaxed.

4.

Standardized testing – getting secondary schools and universities on the same page.

Achieve – Non-profit education reform organization based out of Washington, D.C.
Achieve, founded in 1996, looks to change the American education system so that high school graduates can have a better understanding and easier time getting in to post-secondary education. The group's American Diploma Project (ADP), started in 2006, intends to have high-school curriculums and post-secondary school expectations aligned. Their main focus is one a standardized test to do that. By having a test that reflects the academic level required for college, all students would be able to finish high school and prepare for college at the same time. Achieve believes that the test can help raise the value of a high school diploma, and give students a better sense of how ready they are for university.

5.

Universities should focus less on SAT scores.

National Association for College Admission Counseling – Arlington, V.A.-based organization
The report, chaired by the Dean of Admissions at Princeton University, suggests that universities should not make a student's SAT scores a primary focus when deciding upon admission. The report says that students who are able to excel in multiple areas of study can be equally as successful (or better) than those who just study to nail the SAT. The report also highlights a discrepancy in those who perform well on the SAT - those from upper-class backgrounds, who can afford SAT prep classes and training, are more likely to do better on the test than a counterpart who is not as wealthy. This gives a wealthier person an unfair advantage at university enrolment, even if the other student is better qualified overall.