What is measured on standardized tests?
A standardized test is any form of test that (1) requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that (2) is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students. While different types of tests and assessments may be “standardized” in this way, the term is primarily associated with large-scale tests administered to large populations of students, such as a multiple-choice test given to all the eighth-grade public-school students in a particular state, for example. Show In addition to the familiar multiple-choice format, standardized tests can include true-false questions, short-answer questions, essay questions, or a mix of question types. While standardized tests were traditionally presented on paper and completed using pencils, and many still are, they are increasingly being administered on computers connected to online programs (for a related discussion, see computer-adaptive test). While standardized tests may come in a variety of forms, multiple-choice and true-false formats are widely used for large-scale testing situations because computers can score them quickly, consistently, and inexpensively. In contrast, open-ended essay questions need to be scored by humans using a common set of guidelines or rubrics to promote consistent evaluations from essay to essay—a less efficient and more time-intensive and costly option that is also considered to be more subjective. (Computerized systems designed to replace human scoring are currently being developed by a variety of companies; while these systems are still in their infancy, they are nevertheless becoming the object of growing national debate.) While standardized tests are a major source of debate in the United States, many test experts and educators consider them to be a fair and objective method of assessing the academic achievement of students, mainly because the standardized format, coupled with computerized scoring, reduces the potential for favoritism, bias, or subjective evaluations. On the other hand, subjective human judgment enters into the testing process at various stages—e.g., in the selection and presentation of questions, or in the subject matter and phrasing of both questions and answers. Subjectivity also enters into the process when test developers set passing scores—a decision that can affect how many students pass or fail, or how many achieve a level of performance considered to be “proficient.” For more detailed discussions of these issue, see measurement error, test accommodations, test bias and score inflation. Standardized tests may be used for a wide variety of educational purposes. For example, they may be used to determine a young child’s readiness for kindergarten, identify students who need special-education services or specialized academic support, place students in different academic programs or course levels, or award diplomas and other educational certificates. The following are a few representative examples of the most common forms of standardized test:
ReformFollowing a wide variety of state and federal laws, policies, and regulations aimed at improving school and teacher performance, standardized achievement tests have become an increasingly prominent part of public schooling in the United States. When focused on reforming schools and improving student achievement, standardized tests are used in a few primary ways:
DebateWhile debates about standardized testing are wide-ranging, nuanced, and sometimes emotionally charged, many debates tend to be focused on the ways in which the tests are used, and whether they present reliable or unreliable evaluations of student learning, rather than on whether standardized testing is inherently good or bad (although there is certainly debate on this topic as well). Most test developers and testing experts, for example, caution against using standardized-test scores as an exclusive measure of educational performance, although many would also contend that test scores can be a valuable indicator of performance if used appropriately and judiciously. Generally speaking, standardized testing is more likely to become an object of debate and controversy when test scores are used to make consequential decisions about educational policies, schools, teachers, and students. The tests are less likely to be contentious when they are used to diagnose learning needs and provide students with better services—although the line separating these two purposes is notoriously fuzzy in practice (thus, the ongoing debates). While an exhaustive discussion of standardized-testing debates is beyond the scope of this resource, the following questions will illustrate a few of the major issues commonly discussed and debated in the United States:
What makes a measure standardized?In order to ensure consistency, standardized measures are characterized by prescribed administration and scoring procedures. Nonstandardized measures may include uniform procedures for administration and scoring; however, they are usually more flexible and less explicit than procedures for standardized measures.
What are the features of a Standardised test?Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. Any test in which the same test is given in the same manner to all test takers, and graded in the same manner for everyone, is a standardized test.
Do standardized tests accurately measure intelligence?Much recent research on intelligence and human cognitive development suggests that standardized tests are not valid as measures of excellence or scholastic aptitude.
What is standardization of test scores?A standardised test is designed so that the questions which are asked, the conditions in which the test is taken, the way in which the test is marked and the interpretations of the test results are the same for all candidates who sit the test.
|