Facts
on standardized tests and assessment alternatives
In pursuit of higher test scores, the curriculum has been narrowed
and "dumbed-down" to match the tests. Children learn
less.
First Time Testing
and the Aftermath
So what did we learn from the testing experience - aside from
the fact that a comma doesn't count for much in the 11-year-old
male scheme of things? Robert learns better by teaching himself.
By Ilene Heller.
How
do Homeschooling Parents Know their Children are Learning?
By direct observation! Writes Jan Hunt, in The Natural Child
Project.
Issues
of Assessment in Testing Children Under Age Eight
Research with young children (under 8 years old) indicates that
using standardized tests for student grade placement or school
retention can prove to be harmful to children's ultimate achievements.
By Gwen G. Stevens and Karen DeBord, NC State University.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Test Scorer
Given the ongoing debate over these policies, it might be useful to hear about the experiences of a hidden sector of the education workforce: those of us who make our living scoring these tests. Our experiences also provide insight into how the testing mania is stunting the development of millions of young minds. By Dan DiMaggio, Monthly Review.
The Madness of Multiple-Choice
Textbooks, workbooks, and "canned" curriculums cannot
teach thinking; they can only seek a predictable, "correct"
response. Their very existence is based on a multiple-choice,
fill-in-the-blank, right/wrong system of pushing information
into a child's head. By Andrew Pudewa.
Not On The Test
Music and lyrics by John Forster & Tom Chapin.
Go on to sleep now, third grader of mine.
The test is tomorrow but you'll do just fine.
It's reading and math. Forget all the rest.
You don't need to know what is not on the test.
Obeying
the Law, Testing, & "Qualifying" to Homeschool
Barbara Edtl Shelton argues against testing from a Christian
parent's point of view.
On
Standardized Testing
Tests are of questionable value in the primary grades especially.
PencilsDown.org
The meeting place for parents, educators and citizens concerned
with the miseducation of children in the name of higher standardized
test scores. We plan to use grassroots organization, public education,
civic participation and humor to stem the destructive tide of
the standardized testing craze.
Should Homeschoolers be Forced to Take Standardized Tests?
Homeschooling generally focuses on learning how to learn. It is this that matters in the long run. Until they can show that they really know what should be taught and how, they should allow those with the courage and love to sacrifice for education do so in peace. By Terrie Bittner.
Standardized Testing and the Flight to Homeschooling
America's Moms and Dads need to rethink the whole standards and accountability movement, because our public schools are facing a test-prep overdose that cries out for a parent-driven intervention. By Laura Brodie.
Validity of high stakes standardized test requirements for homeschoolers: a psychometric analysis
After considering the psychometric evidence, I conclude that current and proposed high stakes standardized requirements for homeschoolers are baseless. Policies based on such requirements are a waste of taxpayer dollars and a needless imposition on homeschooling families. By Nicky Hardenbergh
