Assessing the Effects of Standardized Testing on Schools

Abstract

This study brings empirical data to the debate about the efficacy of standardized tests. A teacher questionnaire containing 81 Likert-type items was mailed to 450 upper elementary school teachers in 48 schools. Questions of interest included (a) What are the effects of these tests on the teaching and learning process in schools? (b) What is the meaning of test score gains? and (c) Does such testing have differential effects in schools serving students at different socioeconomic status (SES) levels? Approximately 75% of the teachers (n = 341) completed the questionnaires. Results of Cronbach's alpha and principal components analyses indicated that items within specified subscales were internally consistent. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis showed that the interitem correlations within subscales were stronger than those across subscales. The results of multiple discriminant analysis (DA) using categories of TREND (schools with increasing vs. stable or decreasing test scores) as the grouping variable indicated that only two subscales were significantly different across TREND categories. However, the results of a second multiple DA showed that many subscale scores significantly discriminated groups formed by student SES levels. The DA by SES findings suggest that teachers of lower SES students are under greater pressure to improve test scores and focus more on test content in their classroom instruction than teachers of higher SES students.

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