Re: [FCARFORUM] FCAT Scoring in Temps' Hands

[Peter Campbell <campbellp@mail.montclair.edu>]

MC tests adhere to strict scientific standards that show us who the  
good test-takers are and who the bad test-takers are. Or, more  
precisely, they allow for individuals who work well under pressure in  
controlled, timed environments to demonstrate their skills in  
deciphering the meanings and subtle implications of obtuse questions  
and then selecting the one response that qualifies as the best  
response for each question. Call it whatever you want, but please do  
not confuse this process with exhaustively and thoroughly determining  
what students know and can do. Apart from the fact that MC tests are  
simply too limited in scope to tell us anything useful by themselves,  
and apart from the reams of evidence that demonstrate their cultural  
bias, there is evidence that high-stakes MC tests present what Claude  
Steele calls a "stereotype threat," thereby creating a self- 
fulfilling prophecy for many minority students which virtually  
assures them a score lower than their white counterparts.

No measure by itself is ever enough. We have to accept the fact that  
assessment, like teaching, is a mix of both science and art. But we  
also have to accept that high-quality, multi-measure assessment costs  
a lot of money to be done accurately and to be done well.

Peter Campbell


On Mar 12, 2006, at 8:52 PM, George K Cunningham wrote:

> This is why large-scale tests should be multiple-choice format only.
>
> George K. Cunningham
> Professor, Ret.
>
> > > > QCao009@aol.com 03/12/06 12:56 PM >>>
>
> In a message dated 3/12/2006 12:47:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> bobschaeffer@earthlink.net writes:
>
> But  testing giant CTB/McGraw-Hill, which scores the FCAT, said  
> graders
>
> don't  need an education background.
>
> "Our rigorous training program provides  college graduates in any
> discipline with the skills needed to score the  tests," spokeswoman
> Kelley Carpenter wrote in an e-mail. She said that  hiring permanent
> graders is impossible because the work exists for only a  few  
> months of
>
> the year.
>
>
>
> Bob:
>
> Next thing we know, our testing companies will be telling us we don't
> need
> "intelligent" leaders who can "read", just people who can "read" a
> teleprompter
>  from a script in very large print !!!  Reminds me of a certain
> President
> who walks into a closet door in China.  May be he just thought he  
> could
>  move a
> Chinese wall- not to be confused with the Great Wall of China  - by  
> the
> power
> of his "faith".  And here I thought the Most Rev Pat  Robertson  
> told us
> "God
> didn't create no dummies" !!!
>
> No wonder polticians do not need to take the test they are subjecting
> kids
> to.  It's good to be afraid when you are using fear as a tool.
>
>
> Quan
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