Standardized test

The purpose of this standardization is to make sure that the scores reliably indicate the abilities or skills being measured, and not other things, such as different instructions about what to do if the test taker does not know the answer to a question.

Changing the testing conditions in a way that improves fairness with respect to a permanent or temporary disability, but without undermining the main point of the assessment, is called accommodation.

The earliest evidence of standardized testing was in China, during the Han dynasty,[5] where the imperial examinations covered the Six Arts which included music, archery, horsemanship, arithmetic, writing, and knowledge of the rituals and ceremonies of both public and private parts.

Standardized testing was introduced into Europe in the early 19th century, modeled on the Chinese mandarin examinations,[6] through the advocacy of British colonial administrators, the most "persistent" of which was Britain's consul in Guangzhou, China, Thomas Taylor Meadows.

Based on the skeptical and open-ended tradition of debate inherited from Ancient Greece, Western academia favored non-standardized assessments using essays written by students.

[7] Inspired by the Chinese use of standardized testing, in the early 19th century, British "company managers hired and promoted employees based on competitive examinations in order to prevent corruption and favoritism.

[11] During World War I, the Army Alpha and Beta tests were developed to help place new recruits in appropriate assignments based upon their assessed intelligence levels.

[17] The need for the federal government to make meaningful comparisons across a highly de-centralized (locally controlled) public education system encouraged the use of large-scale standardized testing.

The subjects covered in these tests include Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and Numeracy.

An authentic assessment for athletic skills could take the form of running for a set amount of time or dribbling a ball for a certain distance.

Research shows that teachers create a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy in their assessment of students, granting those they anticipate will achieve with higher scores and giving those who they expect to fail lower grades.

That is, while individual assessments may not be accurate enough for practical purposes, the mean scores of classes, schools, branches of a company, or other groups may well provide useful information because of the reduction of error accomplished by increasing the sample size.

[57] The Common Core Standards aim to fix this discrepancy by helping educators focus on what students need to learn instead of becoming distracted by extraneous topics.

[61] In 2001, it was also reported that only three companies (Harcourt Educational Measurement, CTB McGraw-Hill and Riverside Publishing) design 96% of the tests taken at the state level.

[63] The use of minimum cut-scores for entrance or graduation does not imply a single standard, since test scores are nearly always combined with other minimal criteria such as number of credits, prerequisite courses, attendance, etc.

They argue that they are the most aware of students abilities, capacities, and necessities which would allow them to take a longer on subjects or proceed on with the regular curriculum.

[67] Standardized tests are reviewed by universities as part of the application, along with other supporting evidence such as personal statements, high school grades, previous coursework, and letters of recommendation.

The longitudinal research conducted by scientists shows that students with high test scores are more likely to take the challenging route through college.

[70] Tests also can indicate the outcomes of students beyond college, including faculty evaluations, research accomplishments, degree attainment, performance on comprehensive exams and professional licensure.

[citation needed] There is debate whether the test will indicate the long-term success in work and life since there are many other factors, but fundamental skills such as reading, writing, and math are related to job performance.

Major life accomplishments, such as publishing a novel or patenting technology, are also associated with test scores, even after taking into account educational opportunities.

[78] The report suggested that worsening grade inflation, especially at wealthy high schools, makes a standard assessment especially important.

[79] In January 2020, the faculty senate at the University of California recommended that the UC system keep standardized tests as admissions requirements.

Based on data from the students in the UC system, the report concludes that "test scores are currently better predictors of first-year GPA than high school grade point average.

"[78] Test scores enable UC schools "to select those students from underrepresented groups who are more likely to earn higher grades and to graduate on time.

Critics often propose emphasizing cumulative or even non-numerical measures, such as classroom grades or brief individual assessments (written in prose) from teachers.

Supporters argue that test scores provide a clear-cut, objective standard that serves as a valuable check on grade inflation.

[82][83] Instead, the tests given by schools tend to focus less on moral or character development, and more on individual identifiable academic skills, such as reading comprehension and arithmetic.

In his book, The Shame of the Nation, Jonathan Kozol argues that students submitted to standardized testing are victims of "cognitive decapitation".

In 2007 a qualitative study done by Au Wayne demonstrated that standardized testing narrows the curriculum and encourages teacher-centered instruction instead of student-centered learning.