HIGH STAKES EXAMINATIONS

High Stakes Examinations

High Stakes Examinations

Introduction

This paper is based on the topic of high stakes examinations. Examinations and tests are basic tools, historically used to assess and check the abilities of students regarding the concepts learned in the classroom. High schools examinations are aimed at testing the perceptions and the accuracy of the knowledge gained by the students. These examinations also provide the opportunity to establish the practice of accountability of teachers and students. High school examinations are generally aimed at assessing the aptitude of students and their suitability for continuing higher education. For example, students aspiring to appear in Scholastic Aptitude Tests, taking admissions in diploma courses at a high school, or willing to go for higher education, are eligible potential candidates for such tests. In this paper, the importance of high stakes examinations, their effects on the behaviors of students and teachers, the impact of these tests on the academic achievement of the students, pros and cons of these tests are presented. The prime focus of this paper is on high stakes testing with regards to Mathematics education and the prevailing practices of assessing and evaluating students' accuracy in the subject of mathematics (Abrams, 2003).

Importance of High Stakes Examinations

High Stakes Examinations are used to make critical decisions regarding the future management of public and private schools. Hence, they bear important consequences on the performances of both teachers and students. Teachers are tested for their perceptions about a particular student, their ability to manage classroom activities, while maintaining the decorum of the class. The outcomes in turn, provide an insight into a particular school's management philosophy and practice. This means that the principal and all the concerned staff are also accountable and are liable to be taken to court on failure of meeting the standards and the regulations required to implement the spirit of high stakes testing (Abrams, 2003).

Mathematics is one of the major subjects taught in schools, both at primary and secondary level. Most of the students find it hard to pass a mathematics test due to various reasons. It is necessary then to accommodate these students facing math anxiety, by introducing different methods of instructions - especially designed for these at-risk students. High stakes testing is a tool of its kind, meant to address this issue.

The ever-increasing usage of technology has triggered a tussle between the states in North America to adopt the best possible technology to assess the performances of individual students. Forty nine (49) states have readily implemented policies for using computer-based technology for this purpose. This technology is also being used for proper placement of individual students.

Preparing Students for High Stakes Test in Mathematics

When it comes to high stakes math tests, you can categorize what your students need to know into three broad categories. As you plan your lessons, make sure you cover aspects of each of these:

Skills and Procedures—Mastery of grade-level expectations is a given for a strong performance on a high stakes math test. This is the foundation upon which a students' ...