Educational Testing

Report Outline
Testing in Modern School Programs
Evolution of Examination Techniques
Trends and Issues in School Testing

Testing in Modern School Programs

Concern Over Extensive Dependence on Tests

The practice of putting American elementary and high school students through uniform, standardized tests, designed to measure accurately a wide range of competencies, was given a strong boost last September when the National Defense Education Act authorized federal aid to expand and strengthen testing programs. Scores obtained on the standardized tests carry considerable weight in determining which high school pupils will take college preparatory courses and which graduates will be admitted to college. The tests are being used increasingly in the lower grades to help evaluate pupil ability and progress and, in some cases, to help determine whether a child shall be assigned to a fast or a slow learning group.

Half a century ago, most of the examinations given to school pupils were made up by the classroom teacher and were designed to test the students' knowledge of subjects they had been taught. Today's pupils still must take examinations of that sort, but they are repeatedly subjected also to tests prepared by specialized agencies for the purpose of gauging general or particular aptitudes or abilities not necessarily directly related to daily school experience.

The general public, and especially parents of school-age children, are naturally concerned that the standardized tests give fair evaluations. Competition for admission to college, particularly to the high-prestige institutions, is growing keener. The increasing availability of college scholarships puts still another premium on high test scores. And standardized tests may be a deciding factor in placing a younger child on an educational track which will broaden or limit his later academic or vocational opportunities.