Monday, July 27, 2009

Tests should be used only for the purpose for which they were developed.

Gerald Bracey:

The President of the United States and his Secretary of Education are violating one of the most fundamental principles concerning test use: Tests should be used only for the purpose for which they were developed. If they are to be used for some other purpose, then careful attention must be paid to whether or not this purpose is appropriate. This position was developed jointly by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education in their document "The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing."

It seems self-evident to me that a single score on one test cannot be used to evaluate a student and a teacher.

No comments: