Introduction

Standardized tests are having a greater impact on students and schools in recent years. In large part, this is due to the Federal government's emphasis on accountability in the educational system and the introduction of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2001, also known as 'No Child Left Behind.'

Standardized tests can be useful for getting a glimpse of what individuals understand. Some experts think of them as 'dipsticks' that can give you a sense of a student's understanding of a subject, much the way an oil dipstick can give you a limited sense of a motor's health. It's important not to misuse tests by overemphasizing them when making important decisions, like tracking individual students or funding school districts.

The goal of this workshop is to help you as a parent work with teachers and administrators to make good use of test results when making decisions about your child. We've designed a few activities that will help you learn about the topic, including understanding percentile, factors affecting scores, exploring possible meanings, actions you can take, and reflection on testing and your child. At the end of the activities, we also have links to more information and resources.

Activity

Take a moment to reflect about questions or concerns that you have about standardized tests. These questions may come from your own experience in school, your child's experiences, or things you've seen or heard in the media.