The Case Against Standardized Testing: Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools

It was quite an interesting read. Anyone connected with education should read this book. There are only 66 pages plus notes so it is a quick book to read.

This text is an interesting set of facts and study on standardized testing. I wish it had been longer and more in depth. It reads like a dissertation, but it has some good information. The date is 2000. It really needs some updating to be credible in the next few months.

Excellent read.

Perfect

Alfie Kohn is an interesting theorist on educational policies. I agree with some of his ideas but not all of them. It is good to stay informed on the latest ideas that are out there and to form your own opinions.

Death and taxes are often quoted as givens in our society. In the world of education, one might add standardized testing to this grouping. If we examine the current call for educational standards in this country and the accompanying emphasis on high stakes standardized testing, one may immediately recall the discomfort of sitting in a room of silent test takers, usually a gymnasium with only the sounds of the proctors and their wing-tipped shoes creaking up and down the rows as answers are feverishly bubbled in with number two pencils. Alfie Kohn, reseracher and an outspoken critic of our public school system and its emphasis on competition, brings to light in this book, a need for a modern day "call to arms." For Kohn, establishes a strong framework from the start, as he characterizes standardized tests as having "swelled and mutated, like a creature in one of those old horror movies to the point that it now threatens to swallow our school whole." Over the course of just 94 pages, Kohn writes a deftly crafted text, with chapter titles that in and of themselves provoke, such as, "Measuring What Matters Least," "The Worst Tests," and "Burnt at the High Stakes," just to name three of the six section titles. This book is a must read for every parent and educator. Kohn aptly sets the stage for his final section, entitled, "Fighting the Tests," a call to action by teachers, adminstrators, parents and students to resist in any way possible the onslaught of standardized testing and standards. Kohn, puts forth very concrete ways to resist current efforts that are being imposed by various government agencies throughout our country. Sixteen very specific strategies are delineated from just talking with friends and neighbors about inherent dangers of focusing on standardized test scores, to actually forming an organized boycott against having one's child or student take the exams. Kohn's provocative, yet extremely well researched and documented style should make the most zealous promoter of high standards and high stakes testing, sit up and take notice.

Interesting perspective. Easy and quick read. Great price!

With an ever increasing political pressure on student achievement in K-12 schools there is a concurrent and also expanding controversy on issues of assessment of student performance. At the core of many of these controversies is the use of standardized tests to compare individual student performance as well as a comparison among schools and school districts on a national level. Alfie Kohn's recently published book, The Case Against Standardized Testing presents a compelling case against the use of these tests as well as providing constructive suggestions for more meaningful processes for learning. The book is divided into 6 chapters. In Chapter one there is a discussion on the testing process in schools. Kohn provides numerous examples to substantiate his concern that the tests are politically driven, inappropriate as measures of learning substantive skills, and counterproductive. Chapter 2 describes negative characteristics of the most common tests currently being administered. Chapter 3 includes a summary of problems resulting from the tests, both for teachers and students. Chapter 4 provides a discussion on 5 compelling reasons to substantiate Kohn's concerns that standardized tests are especially ineffective and counter-productive for those students most in need of educational assistance - those from low income families. Chapter 5 deals with alternatives to standardized tests. Chapter 6 provides specific suggestions and advice on methods for changing the political pressures and requirements for standardized tests. In summary, Kohn has provided the American public with the basis for a spirited discussion on the issues involved in standardized testing. His alternative suggestions for assessing students are constructive and can serve as the basis for efforts to improve the present controversial situation.