and from NMSA on testing

[kber <kber@EARTHLINK.NET>]

again, found as the result of being on an e-mail dsitribution list

Ken B



                     A Message from NMSA's Executive Director on
Accountability
                                             and the Impact of
                                            High-Stakes Testing
                                                       by
                                          Sue Swaim, Executive Director
                                        National Middle School
Association



 The American public believes our schools can do better than they are
currently doing - that education reform cannot
 happen without additional money, but that money alone is not the
answer. Further, the public believes accountability is
 needed, and testing is supported 3 to 1 as an accountability strategy.
These are the general findings of the Educational
 Testing Service's major survey of 1,054 adults and eight focus groups.
It is considered by some to be the most
 comprehensive study done to date of public, parent, educator, and
policy-maker attitudes toward standards-based
 reform and the role of testing in the effort to achieve accountability
in public schools.

 Entitled "A Measured Response: Americans Speak on Education Reform,"
the report can be accessed on the
 Internet at ftp://ftp.ets.org/pub/corp/2001_survey_presentation.pdf. It
proves to be interesting and thought-provoking
 reading.

 Overall, the report says the public is looking for a balanced approach
to education reform that includes both funding
 and accountability. The public supports testing, but not an
overreliance on tests. The report says the American public
 believes our education system in not in crisis, but certainly needs
some hard work focused on school improvement.
 The study shows that 38% of the respondents felt there was an
overemphasis on test scores, 37% were concerned
 about teaching to the test, and 28% felt too much time was spent on
testing. Nevertheless, when the question was
 posed, "Based on concerns/values you have heard about standardized
testing, do you support or oppose greater use
 of testing as part of a broader education initiative?" 68% of the
respondents favored testing, while 22% opposed it.

 Why should middle level educators, in particular, be knowledgeable
about this report and others like it? Because it
 highlights the critical need for each of us to become actively engaged
in advocating for quality middle level education
 based upon the needs and characteristics of young adolescents. We know
that teaching young adolescents is the
 most demanding and complex job in all of education. And, we know the
importance of communicating regularly and
 effectively with parents so that we become educational partners with
them during this important time in the lives of
 young adolescents. However, this report clearly shows why we must also
increase our efforts in communicating the
 key messages and needs of middle level education to community members
at large and policy makers in particular. It
 is time for our individual and collective voices to speak out regarding
testing and the bigger accountability picture.

 No one argues the importance of accountability in our schools and
classrooms, or can one dispute the fact that when
 tests are appropriately developed and implemented, they are important
tools that help every school evaluate its
 progress towards achieving academic excellence for every student.
However, today we find ourselves in an age of
 accountability that too often defines school success almost solely on
the results of high-stakes tests. This is a
 mistake. Successful schools for young adolescents are much more than
test results. Middle school accountability
 must be based upon a broader database, for tests alone cannot provide
the evidence needed or assess the progress
 made on other important areas of the school's total curriculum and its
many goals.

 As we struggle with the number of tests to administer and the
appropriate use of test results, we must not lose our
 focus on the fact that education, particularly at the middle level,
involves considerably more than the very limited
 aspects of schooling that are assessed by paper and pencil tests. Test
scores alone are simply an inadequate
 yardstick by which to measure anyone's education. Though standardized
tests have merit, their serious limitations in
 evaluating both the adequacy of an individual's education and the
competency of a faculty should be openly
 acknowledged, while giving full recognition to other educational goals.

 As John Lounsbury, one of middle level education's founders, has
observed, "Education, particularly in a democracy,
 has to involve heart as well as head, attitude as well as information,
spirit as well as scholarship, and conscience as
 well as competence." Consider the meaning and potential impact of his
words as we advocate for the full
 implementation of the middle school concept that moves us well beyond
the initial organizational changes and
 focuses on significant changes in curriculum and in the ways teachers
and students interact in the classroom.
 Research makes it clear that when middle schools implement - in
curriculum and instructional practices - what our
 knowledge of learning and human development supports, students make
measurable gains in academic
 achievement.

 Lounsbury claims, "The effective middle school is not just a teaching
factory; it is a laboratory of living where important
 lessons are derived from the relationships among and between students
and teachers as well as from the formal
 instruction provided. Middle schools must accept responsibility for
goals broader than the temporary acquisition of
 information or the mastery of basic skills. They should seek to improve
students' reading skills, to be sure, but also to
 engender a love of reading and impart those skills and attitudes needed
by a lifelong learner."

 "A Measured Response: Americans Speak on Education Reform" leaves the
door open for supporting accountability
 that goes beyond high-stakes testing. As educators, we can readily
embrace accountability measures when they are
 designed and implemented to improve student learning. We have strong
research results and promising practices to
 share that shed a critical light on testing and accountability
expectations?and no one can speak to these issues better
 than those of us who live it everyday.

 The time is right for National Middle School Association, its members,
and its affiliate organizations to refocus our
 advocacy efforts. Working together we can make a difference by calling
for high-performing middle level schools that
 focus on one thing: the learning and healthy growth of every single
student. Accountability as an ongoing process
 based upon a broad database ? YES! High-stakes testing and improvement
on a single test at all costs ? NO! As
 Lounsbury warns, "Unless middle schools are supported in fulfilling
their inescapable responsibilities for developing
 well-educated adults who are also healthy, ethical, and productive
citizens, we could find ourselves in the position of
 winning the battle to improve test scores, but losing the war to build
a better America."

                                     NATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
  4151 Executive Parkway, Suite 300
  Westerville, OH 43081

1-800-528-NMSA (6672)

Email: info@NMSA.org
                     © COPYRIGHT 2002 by NATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
ASSOCIATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the ARN-L list, send command SIGNOFF ARN-L
to LISTSERV@LISTS.CUA.EDU.