Making the Most of Standardized Tests
Updated: December 1, 2022
In this article, you will find:
Improving Test Scores
Questions to Ask the School
Questions to Ask the School
In his book, Choosing Excellence, John Merrow recommends that parents play a vital role in the testing debate by learning about testing policies and voicing their concerns. Ask your child's school:
- How many machine-scored, multiple-choice tests will my child take each year? Who mandates them? Are these high-stakes? If so, what is at stake?
- Do the results have an impact on specific children, or is it the school that is being measured and rated?
- How much time is devoted to test preparation and practice? How much money is the district spending on outside testing?
- Does the school share the results with students, parents, and the community?
- What are the district, the school, and individual teachers not doing because of these tests?
- How does a particular test influence the curriculum?
- What are academic standards for each grade?
- What is the district's policy on high-stakes testing?
In partnership with National PTA. Adapted from "Learning More About Testing" in National PTA's Our Children magazine.
