High-risk testing uses the outcome of a standardized test as the sole determining factor in making important decisions, causing stress for students, parents, and teachers. Many professional organizations criticize this practice, arguing that important decisions require balancing information. Standardized tests do not measure critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and other important aspects of intelligence.
When the outcome of a standardized test is used as the sole determining factor in making an important decision, this is called high-risk testing. Common examples in the United States include standardized tests administered to measure academic progress under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), high school exit exams, and the use of test scores to determine whether or not a school will maintain its accreditation. These tests are supported by some, particularly politicians, who believe schools need more accountability. The practice is heavily criticized by many parents and educators, however, who believe that the outcome of a standardized test should be just one of many things to consider when making an important education decision.
High-risk tests cause stress for students, parents, teachers and school leaders and have been reported in some cases to even lead to psychological distress so severe that it requires hospitalization or other treatment. The idea that taking a single test could change the course of someone’s life is distasteful to some people, especially those who frown on standardized testing in general. Many professional organizations, including the National Council of Mathematics Teachers, have spoken out against this type of testing because they believe that important decisions require balancing information, including class performance, interviews, observation, projects, and project work. class.
When the test is used to evaluate instructors, students’ achievements are measured against those in other parts of the state or country. This practice is especially common under the NCLB, which requires core test scores from every school in the US, forcing many talented teachers to “teach the test” in order for their schools to avoid penalties. Most professional teachers’ organizations would like to see teachers evaluated along a rubric that also includes class visits by inspectors, interviews, reviews of teacher materials used, and other important assessments of the quality of education provided by that teacher. teacher.
Students who take high-stakes tests and do not perform well may find themselves unable to graduate or attend a program in which they are interested. For this reason, many parents speak out against the practice, arguing that it is not right for their children. There has been much criticism of standardized tests and the way they are administered, but perhaps the most important critical claim is that standardized tests do not measure critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and other similar important aspects of intelligence . Perfectly intelligent students can perform poorly on standardized tests and this can have serious consequences for the student and her school.
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