Test Driven: High-Stakes Accountability in Elementary Schools

Test Driven: High-Stakes Accountability in Elementary Schools. Linda Valli, Robert G. Croninger, Marilyn H. Chambliss, Anna O. Graeber, Daria Buese. 2008. 208 pages. Teachers College Press. [Source: personal copy.]

I can only hope that more people than just educators and those in academia are exposed to the invaluable information the authors provide here. The insights into how the educational landscape is being warped by a focus on standardization and other national educational policies are some that I never considered, but am certain I need to be aware of.

The book gives a number of ways in which our high-stakes testing focus is affecting the learning and teaching experience in our schools, by using case studies examining teacher-administrator interactions, classroom management/teaching methods, and professional development.

Parents — read this to understand how testing affects your students’ daily classroom experience, both in various subjects and in overall experience.

Teachers — read this to see the ways in which testing impacts your teaching habits and relationships with fellow teachers, administrators, and, most importantly, students.

Policy makers — read this to see how you’re changing the educational experience for those most embedded.