Ally(=

**HEY IM ALLY!!** Now I will be updating my wiki with information on my topic for the research project. My topic is "How does standardized testing/CSAP effect people's views on a utopian education?" **I havent decided on much yet, but if anyone has any ideas on a good way to do my oral presentation, that would be great. Thanks(:**
 * 4-22-09**

A **//standardized//** **//test//** is one that is given to evaluate the performance of students and institutions relative to all others according to the same standard. In the United States, **//standardized//** **//testing//** is one of the primary methods used to gauge the performance of educational institutions and to make decisions about the distribution of funding. Proponents argue that **//standardized//** **//testing//** is the only available method of assessing the performance of students and institutions, and of maintaining the quality of education. Some critics argue that **//standardized//** **//tests//** are culturally and socially biased and that educators do not understand the variables that contribute to **//test//** scores. In addition, it has been suggested that **//standardized//** **//testing//** is an ineffective use of federal funding. Though many agree that the **//testing//** system is flawed, some believe that the current model can be reformed, while others believe that it is impossible to create a test to accurately measure aptitude and comprehension across a broad range of students. [|Understanding the Discussion] [|History] Modern **//standardized//** **//tests//** are based on the research of seventeenth-century European psychologists and educators who were looking for a way to quantitatively measure intelligence, with the goal of identifying persons with learning difficulties. European researchers created the concepts of norm-based and standard-based **//tests//**, both of which are reflected in modern **//testing//** procedures. Psychologist Francis Galton developed one of the earliest definitions of intelligence. American psychologist Edward Thorndike drew on Galton's research and studies of animal behavior to create a variety of educational **//tests//**. In the early years of the twentieth century, American schools began to use Thorndike's **//tests//** to measure handwriting and reading ability. During this period, most schools did not use multiple-choice **//testing//**, but relied on essay writing and short-answer **//tests//**. Educators at the University of Kansas created one of the first multiple-choice **//tests//** in 1914; this style later became the standard model for university exams. In 1904, French psychologist Alfred Binet created an intelligence **//test//** based on critical thinking and evaluation. Binet's **//test//** was revised in 1916 by Stanford University psychologist Lewis Terman, and became the basis for most modern intelligence and aptitude **//tests//**. In 1926, a group of educators used the Stanford-Binet Intelligence **//Test//** as a model for the Scholastic Aptitude **//Test//** (SAT). In part, the SAT was intended to help reduce the expense and time required to grade essay and short-answer exams. Many educators objected to the SAT on the basis that it was not an effective measure of students' comprehensio**//n//**. The SAT and similar exams relied heavily on multiple-choice questions. During the 1930s, intelligence and aptitude **//tests//** were adopted throughout U.S. and Canadian school systems. During this time, **//test//** results were only available to teachers and school administrators as a teaching aid, and were not used to determine a student's potential for advancement or as a factor in determining school funding. In the 1950s, U.S. schools began using **//standardized//** **//tests//** to determine educational advancement. In response to this trend, some educators complained that **//standardized//** **//tests//** were unable to account for cultural, ethnic or social differences and were therefore biased. During the 1960s, the federal government emphasized improving performance in U.S. schools, fueled by the perception that the U.S. was falling behind other countries in certain areas of education. Educators and psychologists were encouraged to expand **//testing//** to measure all aspects of the standard curriculum. In 1964, Congress proposed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which included provisions to fund **//standardized//** **//testing//** in public schools. In 1988, Congress established the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), a federal agency charged with monitoring and improving **//testing//** procedures. The NAGB commissioned the development of additional assessment **//tests//**, but critics have argued that the NAGB has not helped reform the current **//testing//** system or conducted sufficient research into alternative measures. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the Improving America's Schools Act into law. The legislation was updated the 1964 Education Act, and included new provisions intended to encourage schools to focus on improving **//test//** results. The act was updated in 2000. [|Standardized Testing Today] The modern era of **//standardized//** **//testing//** is linked to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy developed under President George W. Bush and implemented in 2002. Whereas previous legislation supported and funded assessment **//tests//**, NCLB makes **//standardized//** **//testing//** a legal requirement for certain grade levels and requires that all states include **//test//** results in their funding decisions. NCLB has been criticized by educational organizations who believe that the program represents a misallocation of federal funding. Critics argue that federal funding could be better used to improve pay rates and benefits for teachers. In addition, some have criticized NCLB for making **//standardized//** **//testing//** a legal requirement without engaging in a suitable public debate. Proponents of **//testing//** argue that the government has a responsibility to ensure that educational funding is given to schools with the greatest need, and that the government must rely on some **//testing//** procedure to ensure that federal funding is being effectively used. In addition, some proponents argue that without **//standardized//** **//testing//** educators would be unable to identify students with special needs. Several independent research studies have indicated that the process of studying for **//tests//** helps students to develop long-term recall, even concerning material that is not included in the actual **//test//**. However, recent studies indicate that short-answer and essay **//tests//** are more effective than the current, largely multiple-choice **//testing//** models, in helping students to recall information. Some critics believe that **//standardized//** **//testing//** teaches students to learn in a way conducive to multiple-choice exams (and encourages teachers to "teach to the **//test//**") without gaining a full comprehension of the material.
 * Here is some information from the Point of View resource on EBSCO.**
 * //Standardized//** **//tests//** have been used in American schools since the 1930s to help identify students suffering from learning difficulties. Through a series of legislative measures beginning in the 1960s, federal agencies have placed increasing importance on the results of **//standardized//** **//tests//**. Following legislative changes in 2002, public schools now conduct **//standardized//** **//tests//** as a prerequisite for receiving federal funding.
 * Absolute/Standard-Based **//Testing//**:** A **//testing//** system that measures performance as percentage of correct answers against a pre-determined standard. Grades are given as an absolute percentage of a 100 percent score.
 * Intelligence:** The capacity for reasoning, learning, problem-solving and other activities related to mental function.
 * Norm-Based/Relative **//Test//**:** A type of **//test//** that grades performance against all others taking the same examination. The grade is given as a curve, representing the **//test//**-taker's standing within the **//test//** group.
 * //Standardized//** **//Test//**:** A type of **//test//** given and graded in a uniform manner in an effort to create a universal standard against which the performance of individual students may be measured.
 * //Tests//** were used in ancient China, Greece, and Rome to determine fitness for public and government service. Many early **//testing//** systems attempted to evaluate reading and writing abilities as well as qualitative characteristics such as creativity. Attempts to codify **//testing//** procedures eventually made it necessary to reduce the scope of disciplines being **//tested//**.
 * //Testing//** was expanded to the elementary grades in the 1970s, and by 1980, the majority of states authorized **//standardized//** **//testing//** for students prior to entering kindergarten. Some educators objected on the basis that young children are more difficult to evaluate due to more pronounced variation in experience and development.