Re: test misuse

["Dr. William C. Cala, Ed.D." <wcala@SERVTECH.COM>]

Deanna,

With all due respect, I don't think you are getting the point.  You know
that the tests are being abused.  Please don't tell me that you don't.  They
are being used as single measures, as high-stakes and to diagnose schools
and individual students with a paucity of information to do same.  In New
York, for example, given the guidelines set by CTB McGraw-Hill, not one test
should be sold as NY state is NOT following company guidelines.  The same
holds true for Illinois, Washington, Virginia, Florida, Arizona,
Massachusetts and the other states represented on this list.

I have posed the question on ARN twice.  This will be #3,  Which schools in
the entire country have been refused purchase of standardized tests as a
result of potential misuse?

I have posed this question to State Ed. Officials repeatedly, "How do you
administer tests in direct opposition to company guidelines?"  Never a
response!  As I have posted earlier, 'checkmate' questions do not get
responses from our state officials.  But, that doesn't stop them or the
damage it does to our kids.

The gun metaphors must continue.  The parallels are too strikingly similar.
The arguments the same.  "Guns don't kill, people do.  Standardized tests
don't abuse, the manufacturers and State Education department do.

If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

If standardized tests are outlawed, only outlaws will make money on the back
of kids.

BC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deanna M. De'Liberto" <Ddeliberto@AOL.COM>
To: <ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2001 8:29 AM
Subject: Re: test misuse


> William,
>
> Test publishers are NOT psychic.  Unless someone tells us that something
is
> being done inappropriately, and that claim is investigated, how can one
claim
> that test publishers were aware of the inappropriate use?
>
> In a crime situation, if you witness the crime, you MUST report it to the
> police so that they can investigate it.
> So if someone witnesses inappropriate test use, they should report it to
the
> test publisher so that the claim can be investigated.
>
> How would you like to be accused of a crime that you did not commit or did
> not witness?  I do not think you would like that very much.  In the US
> criminal court system, an individual is innocent until proven guilty.
>
> However, in the US chancery court, an individual is guilty until proven
> innocent.  I think only the plaintiffs like chancery court.  Defendants
would
> be crazy to like chancery court.
>
> In a message dated 8/31/01 11:30:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> wcala@SERVTECH.COM writes:
>
> >
> >  You MUST be kidding.  I MUST be reading this incorrectly!  If one knows
> > that
> >  a crime is being committed, it MUST be reported or it's a no-fault
> >  situation?  Please, test companies MUST not look the other way!
> >
> >  BC
>
>
> Deanna
> ===================================================
> Deanna M. De'Liberto, President/Director of Assessment
> D Squared Assessments, Inc.
> (Specialists in Test Development/Validation and Test Administration)
> 9 Bedle Road, Suite 250
> Hazlet, NJ 07730-1209
> Phone:  (732) 888-9339
> Email:    Ddeliberto@aol.com
> Web:     http://www.quikpage.com/D/dsquared
>
> Member of the Association of Test Publishers
> ===================================================
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