Standardized Testing 2
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       Standardized testing was introduced as a solution to low education standards and low achievement levels, but now standardized testing has become the problem. Money is allocated according to the achievement of schools and their students with the information provided by standardized testing, but many believe it is not an accurate representation of student achievement. Opponents say that standardized testing does not consider environmental factors such as a student's health or fatigue, it does not allow students to become actively involved, and it only shows the knowledge an individual student lacks in comparison to other students.

       Due to the many problems, many states are trying different forms of testing to be used in addition to standardized testing in hopes to receive a better representation. If schools receive the correct funding there is the potential for the educational standards to increase, equalizing them to other schools.
       
       Standardized testing has increasingly shaped and narrowed curriculum and impacts student grade promotion, teacher rehiring, and funding. Rather than showing what the students have learned by performing a task, such as writing, standardized testing requires students to select answers from a ready-made list. One multiple-choice test is not an accurate representation of a student's achievement. His or her score may vary depending on stress, sickness, and fatigue along with many other environmental factors. Standardized testing does not take any of this into account (Kentucky Department of Education).

       An independent audit panel retained by the North Carolina State Board of Education conducted a study of the state's testing and accountability programs. Although this study showed that the program is successful, there are certain actions necessary to ensure the continual development of a quality testing program (N.C. Schools: Audit Panel). The Panel analysis examined the state-by-state change over time in North Assessment Educational Progress (NAEP) math assessments scores. There was little change among the students that fall between the top and bottom quartiles, and almost no progress with the majority of minority students, those students eligible for free or reduced price lunch, or students with disabilities (N.C. Schools: NC Singled Out).

       Kentucky and South Carolina have taken action to provide an alternative form of testing called performance assessment or alternative assessment, which was developed around five years ago. When used in addition to standardized testing, proponents feel a solid alternative assessment program will offer a better representation of student achievement and will properly control funding, thus equalizing student performance. This will also ensure a stable curriculum and a fair teacher employment system.

       Performance assessments are "procedures and techniques which can be used within the context of instruction and can be easily incorporated into the daily activities of the school or classroom" (ERIC Digest). The main objective of performance assessment is to gather information about how students are approaching, processing and completing real-life tasks in certain areas (ERIC Digest). Nonverbal assessment strategies, K-W-L charts, oral performance, and portfolios are some common forms of assessment (ERIC Digest). Proponents say that unlike standardized testing, performance assessments focus on documenting a student's strengths and his or her individual growth over a period of time, rather than focusing on his or her weaknesses and comparing students to one another.

       In 1998, House Bill 53 redesigned Kentucky's testing and accountability system. The Kentucky Board of Education constructed the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) through a broad, collaborative process that included ideas from business leaders, teachers, superintendents, principals, and other citizens. The citizen involvement was a valuable part of the process, for more than 6,200 citizens submitted opinions to the State Board.

       The CATS include the CTBS 5-Survey Edition, the Kentucky Core Content Tests (KCCT), a writing portfolio and prompts, and the alternate portfolio. The CTBS is a multiple-choice test that compares Kentucky students nationally. The KCCT is a mixture of multiple-choice and open-response questions. The writing portfolio is a collection of a student's best writing over time, and the writing prompts are writing tests that measure skills developed from writing instruction. The alternative portfolio is a collection of the best works of students with severe to profound disabilities, a problem that is not addressed through standardized testing (Kentucky Board of Education).

       A school's total score, or its accountability index, is a combination of the academic performances discussed above along with the non-academic measures of attendance, retention rates, dropout rates and successful transition to adult life (Kentucky Board of Education). Performance assessments also give consideration to the learning styles, language proficiencies, cultural and educational backgrounds, and grade levels of students (ERIC Digest). CATS has a standard error of measurement called the Fairness Margin, which considers such environmental factors. The Fairness Margin "is the statistical estimate of how much a person's score would vary had he or she actually taken the test an unlimited number of times," and "is represented by the width of the goal line and the assistance line on the customized growth chart for each school," (Kentucky Board of Education). This increases the state's ability to configure student achievement. The variety of these tests gives the state a better vision of student achievement over standardized testing.

       The state of South Carolina has created a solution to standardized testing as well. The Scholars program is a solution adopted by the principals of Horry County schools to help students prepare for the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT), a portfolio-based assessment system. Disabled students take an alternative assessment for the PACT called the PACT-ALT (South Carolina State Department of Education). Students documented with learning disabilities will have various testing accommodations and modifications. The Scholar Program provides each school with a person in charge of the curriculum and creates 30-minute lessons on the necessary techniques to use when taking the PACT test (South Carolina State Department of Education). This program ensures students will be at the same level and the curriculum and/or a teacher's position is not jeopardized due to standardized testing.

       North Carolina has taken a different approach towards standardized testing. Opponents of standardized testing say the current testing system is a fair and accurate one, but the testing environment hinders its effectiveness. Rather than adding an alternative solution, like performance assessments, to increase the effectiveness of standardized testing, Governor Jim Hunt plans to change the testing environment. Hunt began his "First in America" program in 1999 with the intent that North Carolina will have the best public school system in the U.S. by 2010 (N.C. Schools: First in America by 2010).

       Hunt's "First in America" goals are having "High Student Performance" with every student making strong progress, "Every Child Ready to Learn" with quality child care accessible to every student and every parent a good teacher first, "Safe, Orderly, and Caring Schools" free of drugs, weapons, and disruption, and "Strong Family, Business, and Community Support" with every family involved in their child's learning. By improving the testing environment and forming a strong, interactive family and community relationship for every student, Hunt hopes to influence the effectiveness of standardized testing and thus increase educational standards and student achievement levels.

       Texas continues to support standardized testing, but its plan varies from North Carolina. Texas created the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS), which evaluates students' attendance rate, and the dropout information by students at disciplinary alternative education programs into account along with the test scores (Texas Education Agency). The North Carolina and Texas educational reform plans were developed around the early 1990's, but are just now being implemented (Department of Education).

       The federal government has adopted Bush's educational reform plan, "No Child Left Behind." National testing is required, but the federal government allows some flexibility, for states can modify their individual testing programs in addition to the national testing. Federal programs like "No Child Left Behind" control part of the money allocated to each state, which is becoming a controversy because the allocation is largely determined by test scores and is not equally distributed. As a result, states have been trying new testing solutions to increase test scores for more funding and thus higher achievement levels.

       Governors and state legislators have been the most influential in adopting these solutions. Interest groups (educators, superintendents, parents, students and business leaders) have also been heavily involved in these issues, for the educational system directly affects their lives and communities. The Consortium for Equity in Standards and Testing (CTEST) is an interest group that focuses on how educational standards, assessments, and tests can be used more fairly. CTEST's goals are to examine the values and beliefs that underpin various proposals for testing and to recommend improvements that would identify and nurture talent, especially among racial, ethnic and linguistic minorities (The Consortium for Equity Standards and Testing).

       The political culture, values, and opinions vary from state to state and can affect the types of solutions, if any, given for problems ensued by standardized testing. For example, some states use the lottery to produce additional funding for education and raise student achievement levels and educational standards. North Carolina has not adopted the lottery as a possible solution to low educational standards and achievement due to its political culture and conservative values. This is evident in Governor Hunt's "First in America" reform plan.

       Opponents of alternative assessments fear that the benefits of these programs will fall short of the costs necessary for correct implementation. Due to additional time and money needed for trained scorers to read and score test, an alternative assessment is not a risk that some are willing to take. A longer test with short, performance-based questions will cost $167 million more than a national multiple-choice achievement test (Department of Education).

       Proponents believe that alternative assessment programs are worth the extra costs for they give a better representation of a student's achievement level and detect what areas are in need of improvement. Funding and instructional aid is allocated more correctly because alternative assessment offers students the ability to show what they truly know and with this educational standards and achievement levels should rise.