The threat of the USA losing the space race in the 1950-60s led to a focus on the quality of educational outcomes. Standardised assessment procedures were used nationally to monitor this. Over the decades since, testing has become more frequent and more centralised, with a shift to making schools and educators accountable for scores. [...]
In other words, like other concepts in contemporary education, there are multiple perspectives on standardised assessment. Our position on its value, relevance and valid use is informed by our more fundamental beliefs about the purposes of education in a culture, our conception of students, our roles and responsibilities as educators and our understanding of learning and teaching. Awareness of the five narratives can contribute to our personal views about standardised testing. [...]
Standardised testing is likely to be with us for some time. As educators, many of us object to how and why it is used beyond the teaching-learning context and the preference and priority it is given over other forms of assessment. To ensure that it benefits optimally the learning outcomes of our students, we may need to both broaden our narrative about it and take whatever steps we can to minimise its negative influences
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