That something in most instances turned out to be a test. There are many aspects of schooling that cannot be measured with tests, but tests are the major source of data we currently have that permit comparisons of schools, states, or nations. Standardized achievement tests attained record high levels in the mid- to late 1980 s and remain there. Gains have been especially dramatic for blacks and Hispanics. The proportion of students scoring above 650 on the SAT mathematics section attained record levels around 1995 and has remained at the all-time high.
American students are second in the world in reading.
Even if the raison d tre of the high stakes testing programs were missing, they could still be acceptable programs if they were shown to be causing achievement to increase. A check of the data, though, not only fails to find such improvements, but uncovers a gaggle of unfortunate outcomes. Before answering the question, we should consider carefully the words of Robert L. Linn probably the most respected psychometrician in the nation. As someone who has spent his entire career doing research, writing, and thinking about educational testing and assessment issues, I would like to conclude by summarizing a compelling case showing that the major uses of tests for student and school accountability during the past 50 years have improved education and student learning in dramatic ways. Unfortunately, that is not my conclusion.