HIGH STAKE TESTING IN SOCIAL STUDIES

High Stake Testing In Social Studies

High Stake Testing In Social Studies

Although largely left out of the No Child Left Behind legislation, social studies remain a frequently tested subject on state-level standardized exams. As of 2004, 23 states conducted standards-based social studies tests, 10 of which could be considered high stakes. Where social studies will fit into the national testing picture is uncertain, but the reality of state-level testing for teachers and students is unlikely to change in the near future. (Jane 2003 )

What school observers think could or should or may happen with high-stakes testing is interesting, to be sure, but research on the lived experiences of social studies teachers and their students may be more revealing. As we shall see, the evidence confirms and challenges both policymakers' hopes and critics' fears: Teachers are both reacting and acting. (Jane 2003

Defining High-Stakes

If an immediate and potentially dramatic effect on students' school lives is one dimension of high-stakes testing, then the exams administered in states like Texas, Virginia, Mississippi, and New York qualify: Test scores in these states determine whether or not students graduate from high school. By contrast, students' test scores in states like Michigan and Kentucky count toward the general assessment of their schools, but hold no particular consequence for the students themselves. Another complication to the stakes issue comes in the form of elementary and middle school students in New York and other high-stakes states who take state exams, but who's scores have little direct impact on their school lives. (William 2000 )

As the research evidence accumulates, one can conclude that the particular stakes attached to a state-level test may matter less than the mere existence of a test. In short, the test part of the phrase "high-stakes test" may matter as much as the stakes themselves. Patterns emerge across teachers' responses to state tests, but those patterns offer little predictable value. Some novice teachers and their veteran peers feel pressured to undercut their pedagogical goals in reaction to state test pressures. But other teachers, sometimes in the same schools, feel free to carve out their own pedagogical paths. There are many ways to interpret the influence of state social studies tests but, as policy tool, it is hard to ignore the conclusion that state-level tests produce a crazy quilt of responses. (Jane 2003 )

How Do Social Studies Teachers Respond to Tests?

As the research base on how teachers respond to state social studies tests grows, an interesting distinction is emerging. The phrases "teaching to the test" and "what gets tested gets taught" make great headlines, but poor policy. Teaching is no single act. At a minimum, teachers choose curriculum, they design instructional activities, and they create assessments. Proponents and critics of testing alike typically assume that tests drive the entirety of teaching. The research evidence suggests otherwise. Although a number of questions remain open, the emerging research base suggests that state tests influence teachers' content, instructional, and assessment decisions ...