October 1, 2026
Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools
More than a quarter-century after “No Child Left Behind” deliberately left millions of children behind by imposing nationwide punitive high-stakes testing, U.S. students are still tested constantly, starting early in elementary school. Children in many states may be forced to repeat a grade based solely on their scores. In a memorable conversation, FAIRTEST director Harry Feder helps us understand just how pervasive testing has become and why that’s very bad news. Standardized exams have largely become, in his words, “tests of test-taking skills” rather than of academic proficiency. Moreover, NCLB and its legacy of constant testing (and test-oriented instruction) has a disproportionately damaging impact on low-income and minority students. Feder explains that authentic, performance-based assessments are not just realistic alternatives to standardized tests but produce far more meaningful results while avoiding the deadening effects of a test-prep curriculum. In short, people who who claim that standardized testing is necessary or useful are those who know the least about assessment and learning.
RESOURCES:
– Fairtest.org
– https://www.performanceassessment.org/
– Alfie Kohn, The Case Against Standardized Testing (Heinemann, 2000) – https://tinyurl.com/4akzwzf8
– Sixteen essential books about testing: https://tinyurl.com/2n44b5ux
– Stephen G. Sireci, “Standardization and UNDERSTANDardization in Educational Assessment,” Educational Measurement 39 (2020) – https://tinyurl.com/3afbv5p5
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