ABSTRACT
Standardized tests are not perfect and neither are the human beings who develop, administer, or score them. Unfortunately, the fog of criticism is so dense, and the obfuscation of testing opponents so intense, that the legitimate, reasonable criticisms of testing become obscured by the illegitimate and unreasonable. High-stakes standardized tests offer targets of performance. Many would be surprised to learn that some strong proponents of higher standards and challenging curricula are opponents of high-stakes tests. Maryland's School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) incorporated test administrations at three different grade levels and performance carried consequences for schools. The test was entirely "performance-based," had no multiple-choice items, and even included group work and "hands-on" demonstrations. Finally, to be fair, one must admit that some students' test performance can be debilitated by test anxiety. Others involve dealing directly with those students' anxiety and attempting to resolve it. The best solution to the problem of test anxiety may be to test far more frequently.
