Deck 1: Educational Testing and Assessment: Context, Issues, and Trends

Question 1

Which of the following summarizes the main difference between content standards and performance standards?

A)Content standards define what will be learned while performance standards define how things will be learned.
B)Content standards define how things will be learned while performance standards define what will be learned.
C)Content standards measure student effort while performance standards measure the quality of the student performance.
D)Content standards are gender specific while performance standards are specific to certain minority groups.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following would serve as a particularly well founded criticism of standardized tests?

A)they are used to evaluate teachers rather than children's achievement levels
B)they measure only limited characteristics of an individual
C)they require excessive time to administer
D)they result in an overemphasis on complex reasoning skills

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Accountability programs for educational reform have put pressure on schools to make which of the following decisions?

A)abolish the use of published tests and assessments for test preparation
B)reduce the number of classroom aides working in schools
C)increase the use of a variety of tests and assessments to prepare students
D)offer financial incentives such as scholarships for high-performing students

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following events followed shortly after the publication of "A Nation at Risk"?

A)Many teachers and administrators were fired and/or transferred to other positions.
B)All 50 states introduced some form of educational reform.
C)No Child Left Behind was enacted.
D)One standardized test was adopted for use by all 50 states.

Question 5

Which of the following best summarizes the findings in the report "A Nation at Risk"?

A)children tended to be tested too much, especially in later grades
B)tests should be administered beginning in the upper elementary or middle school grades
C)children in the USA scored better than students in most European countries but lower than most students in Asian countries
D)the quality of American education was mediocre compared with other countries

Question 6

Abolishing all published tests would most likely yield which of the following results?

A)quicker administrative staffing decisions
B)less effective educational decisions
C)a more objective assessment of accountability programs
D)more opportunities for individuals to succeed on merit

Question 7

When externally mandated tests are used to measure current student achievement and progress, the tests are being used as

A)a barometer
B)a lever
C)a method of formative assessment
D)a process to test teacher efficiency and quality.

Question 8

Computerized testing can increase the efficiency of testing by incorporating

A)adaptive testing procedures.
B)conventional test layout and formats.
C)informal teacher-made tests.
D)more essay questions.

Question 9

Ms.Smith is using an assessment to gauge how well James is learning day-to-day class material as well as devising educational programs designed to help students learn the classroom material better.Which of the following types of assessment would be most beneficial to Ms.Smith?

A)externally mandated
B)summative
C)formative
D)arbitrary

Question 10

Critics of externally mandated tests argue that these tests cause anxiety for children.Which of the following arguments might a proponent of externally mandated test likely counter with?

A)Moderate test anxiety can lead to student motivation to learn and do well on tests.
B)Students with test anxiety tend score well on these tests because they are awarded extra time.
C)Giving students positive rewards for doing well on tests negates most test anxiety.
D)Test anxiety may be present for older students but is virtually nonexistent for younger students.

Question 11

Externally mandated testing and assessment programs are often appealing to policy makers because they

A)are popular with teachers.
B)are written by teachers in the child's given school or school system.
C)indicate whether a given school or school district is effective.
D)indicate high or low teacher quality.

Question 12

Which of the following would likely be a possible danger of the accountability movement on the local school program?

A)a narrowing of objectives
B)a neglect for basic skills
C)an expansion of the curriculum
D)an overemphasis on performance objectives

Question 13

Which of the following is of particular concern regarding the interpretation of students' test scores?

A)that students were given adequate time to take the test
B)that the test did not contain any open-response questions
C)that the test was administered in the morning
D)that the test results do not lead to stereotyping or labeling students

Question 14

Mr.Johnson has told Billy that he "can do better" while admitting to Monica that she is probably doing "as well as can be expected." Which of the following acts is Mr.Johnson likely guilty of?

A)alienating parents
B)reinforcing a self-fulfilling prophecy
C)relying too much on test results
D)not taking into account that some tests may contain gender bias

Question 15

Misuse of published tests probably can best be prevented by more careful

A)administration.
B)interpretation.
C)scoring.
D)collation.

Question 16

Test critics have focused much of their attention on which of the following?

A)how essay tests are administered
B)how math and science tests are scored
C)the use of multiple-choice items
D)printing tests other languages for nonnative English speaking students

Question 17

Content standards are intended to specify which of the following?

A)instructional approaches to use in teaching specific content
B)the curriculum for all subjects and grade levels
C)what students are expected to learn in a subject or course
D)lists of curriculum materials that should be used in lessons

Question 18

One negative influence of the pressures of accountability on schools is that it encourages teachers to

A)show students how to make educated guesses on difficult multiple choice test questions.
B)put less emphasis on important instructional topics not on the test.
C)stress the importance of test scores on students' overall academic career.
D)organize into grade level teams in order to co-teach curriculum.