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Critics Tell Lawmakers of Flaws in Test System

SACRAMENTO - Critics of standardized testing in public schools told lawmakers Wednesday that the battery of tests doesn't allow students to demonstrate their knowledge, just their test-taking skills.

Two students and several educators told the Assembly Education Committee that the three mandatory tests cause students to focus on test results, not learning and understanding their lessons.

The tests, implemented in the mid-1990s, have come under fire before, said Theresa Garcia, an assistant secretary of education. But without tests, there's no way to measure how schools are doing in teaching children, she said.

Students now take the Stanford 9 test, which measures California students' progress against other states, and the California Standards test, which is based on the norms for each grade. Starting with the class of 2004, high school seniors must pass the high school exit exam to get a diploma.

Mario Valencia, a high school student in San Jose, said through an interpreter that he took a standardized test after being in California only a couple of weeks.

"I didn't understand any of it. My teacher told me to fill in the boxes however I wanted," he said.

Valencia said he and other English-language learners see a high school diploma as key to improving their lives. But he fears he won't be able to pass the exit exam.

"It has been very difficult for me because the English isn't at the level I can speak and understand," he said.

The test doesn't measure how well English-language learners understand math and other concepts, said Shannon Carey, an Oakland middle school teacher.

Carey said many of her students who aren't native English speakers score poorly on the tests because of the language barrier. Over time, she said, she has seen some of those students' test scores increase.

"As their teacher, I know these results are not an indication of their knowledge of standards, but that their English has improved," she said.

Suzanne Tacheny, a member of the state Board of Education, said the board is working to improve the testing system, but is committed to using them to hold schools accountable.

"Tests don't cause inequity, they measure it, and they hold all of us in this chamber accountable," Tacheny said.

The idea of using a standardized test isn't unusual, she pointed out. "If you want to go to medical school, be an electrician, or be a beautician -- you have to take a test."

Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, the committee's chairwoman, and four other lawmakers trekked across the hall to view samples of the standardized tests, but first had to sign a confidentiality agreement that constrained them from revealing or discussing the questions.

That's part of the problem with the tests, said George Sheridan, an elementary school teacher at Black Oak Mine School in El Dorado County.

"Why haven't there been any public scandals about faulty questions and incorrect scoring in California? Because our tests are secret," he said. "No one can tell you about scoring errors in California because no one is allowed to see the (completed) tests, or even a list of correct answers."

Releasing the tests so teachers and parents could see how well students fared on certain standards would be "extremely expensive," Tacheny said. "The problem is, once a student or teacher has seen a test item, we no longer know if a student is doing well on the answer or if they've memorized the answer."




— Associated Press
Critics tell lawmakers of flaws in test system
Contra Costa Times
Jan. 23, 2003
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/living/education/5011798.htm

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