Why Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational Quality

Kira Koop

CA - Curriculum Assessment

Popham, W. J. (1999). Why standardized tests don't measure educational quality. Educational Leadership, 56(6), 8-15.
Find it here: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Don't-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx

This article, though dating to 1999, outlines the disconnect between what standardized tests evaluate and what the student learns. It's a good primer to learn some of the goals of a standardized test - to make relative inferences about a student's abilities - while also providing a critique of their methods. Popham uses examples to illustrate that in some cases, the tests may be evaluating students in areas where their socioeconomic status has more influence on their question answers than what the teacher has taught. For instance, in a question that states that all fruits have seeds, and which of the following plants is not a fruit, a child in a place of privilege will know that pumpkins have seeds, and celery does not. However, a child whose parents or guardians have never brought a pumpkin or celery home would not know, and so may give an incorrect answer.


As a resource, this was a good introduction to the critique of standardized testing. I've heard several teachers express dismay and frustration about the role of the federal government in education, but this article gave me concrete ideas on which to base my understanding of those frustrations.