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来源：人民教育出版社 作者：佚名 更新时间：2006-06-02 02:18:30
Part 1
Primary Tools
Testing, or "assessment," plays a vital role in education today. Test results are often a major force in shaping public perception about the quality of our schools. As a primary tool of educators and policy makers, assessment is used for a multitude of purposes. Educators use assessment results to help improve teaching and learning and to evaluate programs and schools. Assessment is also used to generate the data on which policy decisions are made. Because of its important role, educational assessment is a foundation activity in every school, every school district and every state--a vital component in innovation, higher standards and educational excellence.
Testing has been a pivotal part of American education since early in this century when educators began to seek more reliable and valid means to evaluate students and programs. In the past 40 years, there has been explosive growth and profound change in education. At every step of the way, educational assessment has responded with innovation in measurement and technical expertise. In the past ten years alone, the field of testing has undergone tremendous change because of the emphasis on education reform and development of new education standards.
Local and state education agencies are called upon today, to make many crucial decisions regarding how students and programs are assessed—decisions often involving significant time, effort and public resources. Making the right decisions about testing begins with having a basic understanding of the need for assessments that are valid, reliable and fair, and that fulfill their designed purposes. Though testing is often perceived as a technical field, these "basics" of assessment are not difficult.
This information addresses those "basics." For more than seventy years, CTB/McGraw-Hill has worked in partnership with school districts and states to create successful assessment systems. We hope this information will serve not only as a starting point but also as a continuing reference tool for local and state school board members, educators and policy leaders seeking a firm footing in assessment.
Part 2
The "Basics" of Educational Assessment--Why Test?
Every teacher and parent has heard a student ask the question, "Why do we have tests?" This is the most fundamental question in educational assessment, and it has multiple answers. Assessment is used to
Given the different uses for assessment, it is critical that educators select the appropriate type of test. Before examining the various kinds of assessments and the information they provide, let's first consider the principles that guide assessment development and use.
Four Principles to Consider
Although educational testing is a complex field, four basic principles provide a foundation for further understanding
1. Standards First, Then Testing. When states and communities reform their education systems, a logical sequence of events must be followed. First, the goals for each education system must be set. Second, standards must be adopted to outline what children should know and be able to achieve. These standards should be written in a way that will help students meet the stated goals. Following the adoption of standards, curricula must be set and instructional materials selected to help teachers assist their students in meeting the standards. Finally, assessments are developed to measure student progress toward meeting the standards. In other words, assessment should follow, not lead, the movement to reform our schools. As we continue to find ways to improve education, it is important for educators and policy makers to use a sequence that starts with goal setting and ends with assessment. Only then can we build and use new tests that accurately measure our progress toward meeting standards.
2. Tests Measure Educational Progress--They Don't Create It. The purpose of testing is to deliver accurate and reliable information, not to drive educational reform. Some politicians and policy makers have suggested that new tests alone will create higher levels of educational achievement. What they are really looking for is better results. It is important for school administrators and policy makers to understand that a new assessment system cannot cure ailing education systems. Tests do not create better students; good teachers and good schools do! The problems facing our nation's schools are serious. There is no single cause, and therefore no simple cure for these problems. There are no shortcuts to improving student achievement and creating a world-class workforce. We continue our search for ways to improve student achievement, not rush into thinking that a new testing system will create better schools.
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