Different assessment forms stress different cognitive abilities and skill experience. Several other studies, with data from different grade levels and different subjects, have arrived at a similar conclusion. For example, in a 1991 study of 4th grade, hands-on science assessments by Stanford University researchers Richard Shavelson and Gail Baxter, students conducted several scientific inquiries with lab equipment and materials. The effects of a narrow use of assessment go beyond simply a restricted view of children's capabilities. As is widely acknowledged, testing drives instruction.
Teachers change their curriculum to prepare students for state and district assessments.
I have observed many classes where students are practicing multiple-choice skills. It is no secret that what gets tested is invariably what gets taught. They stand alone, inflating their importance. Since there are no other forms of assessment that, in combinations with standardized tests, can provide a more robust image of a student's capabilities, we have come to rely on one particular type of assessment as the measure of student achievement. Standardized tests are the only game in town.