How does standardized

testing affect teachers

ABI SHAMBO
We know how it effects students
• We were students in the peak!
• Students can often feel as if they are worth the grade they get
• High-stakes testing can stress students and affect their performance
• Students do not get to test on their interests
• We test on reading, writing math what about art, history, and other electives

But we are supposed to
teach students how to think
“Standardized tests'
narrowness of content, their
lack of match with curricula
and instruction, their neglect
of higher order thinking skills,
and the limited relevance and
meaningfulness of their
multiple-choice formats.
‘(Baker, 1989; Herman, 1989;
Shepard, 1990).
Accountability pressure.
Accountability pressure
discouraged teachers from using
joint or team-teaching approaches
and from changing their methods
to facilitate serious student
learning.
Test scores are used in making a
variety of decisions which have
important consequences for
teachers and students, that is,
student promotion, teacher
promotion, and program funding.
Some thought that the pressure
made test scores higher because
there was so much teacher
pressure
 - Schools redefined course
objectives and sequenced
Influence of course content in an attempt
testing on to improve test scores.
teacher planning - Schools serving disadvantaged
and instruction. students are thought tc be
particularly at risk for such
adverse effects
Smith et al.(1989) found that pressure to
improve students' test scores caused
some teachers to "neglect material that
the external test does not
include...reading real books, writing in
authentic context, solving higher-order
problems, creative and divergent
thinking projects, longer-term
integrative unit projects,[and] computer
education..."
 - 60% of the teachers stressed test content

Time spent on
over a long period of time

- Teachers feel strong pressure, especially

testing and from district administrators and the media,

test to improve their students' test scores.

preparation
- Testing substantially influences teachers'
classroom planning. Teachers make sure
that their instructional programs cover test
objectives and many look at prior tests to
assure a good match.

- Adjustments are made in curricular scope

and sequence based on test content and
students' prior performance.
Stress on teachers
• Test scores are assumed to
have a strong relation with
teaching effectiveness, this
can place unfair blame on
good teachers if scores are low
and obscure teaching
deficiencies if scores are too
high
Makes me sad because…
• Standardized tests measure
achievement against goals
rather than measuring
progress.
 OVERALL
TEACHERS CAN FEEL JUST AS
STRESSED AS STUDENTS DO
A B O U T S TA N D A R D I Z E D T E S T I N G .
Link to article 

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