Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

"The question that dismays all teachers and ought to concern everyparent because of what it reveals about what school can do to achild's curiosity -- ?Will this be on the test?' -- will never beanswered again in the same way. Bob Rothman offers a rich andcompelling account of the unfolding revolution in testing inAmerica's schools."
-- Richard P. Mills, Vermont commissioner of education

An award-winning journalist, Rothman cuts through the assessmentdebate -- a debate often characterized by misrepresentations andjargon -- to offer a highly accessible examination of the shift inthinking about testing. He underscores that any change must beginwith the And: what we want students to know and be able to do. Suchchanges demand a new way of knowing what students can achieve--anda system that enables them to achieve.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• 1 A Clash of Visions
• 2 150 Years of Testing
• 3 The Emperor Has No Clothes
• 4 Pioneers in the State Houses
• 5 A Test for the Nation?
• 6 Between Rhetoric and Reality
• 7 Toward an AgAnda for Reform

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Prominent among the current educational reforms is the revamping of student assessment-a turning away from traditional testing as a means of evaluating student achievement. The revamped system focuses on ``what students should leave school knowing and being able to do,'' rather than on scores and percentiles, which, as the author points out, can often be misleading. This clear-sighted exploration of achievement testing in elementary and secondary schools by an editor at Education Week shows how the system has operated in specific school districts and takes note of opposition from certain school boards and voters who fear new approaches are ``misguided and potentially dangerous.'' Rothman delineates changes in learning that will be required of teachers and students for implementation of reform. The effort to redefine standards and codify what is expected of students is ongoing, but as Rothman concludes, ``the road to the twenty-first century begins with a new way of knowing what young people know.'' Primarily for educators and policymakers. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

Rothman, a journalist at Education Week, has written a nontechnical expose of the use of tests in American schools. He accurately reports and documents many controversies of the 1980s and 1990s as well as the political and social values driving public school assessment problems. Compared to newspaper and general magazine articles, the book shows depth and study. Unfortunately, it lacks accuracy and does not explain measurement issues sufficiently to make it useful as a reference for most professionals. Rothman's approach and narrative would be useful for undergraduates to identify issues facing teachers and psychologists, or for graduate students who wish a summary of current public politics surrounding testing. The text's discussions of performance testing, validity, reliability, and bias are superficial, a distinct weakness for a book on measurement. Modern test design (such as item response theory) is not mentioned when it should be. Overall, a readable book of general interest to educators. W. S. Lang University of South Florida

Booklist Review

If educational assessment reform proceeds on schedule, students of the '90s need never fear that standardized test results will be forever emblazoned on their permanent records. An educational revolution is under way to promote the use, in elementary and secondary schools, of performance-based outcomes that would be measured against predetermined standards in lieu of input-based assessments, such as multiple-choice tests. Rothman agrees it is time for schools to discard traditional means of determining what students know and to replace them with methods that assess metacognitive thinking skills useful in the real world. As adults, all students will need to make decisions, solve problems, communicate, and work in teams. Therefore, schools need to devise methods to teach and test these skills in practical ways. This general overview of learning assessment is for parents, teachers, and policy makers and is written by a journalist with expertise in educational practice and policy. If Rothman is right, future students will see multiple-choice and true-and-false questions go the way of the dinosaur. Make way for oral reports, groups projects, and portfolios. A well-researched, balanced portrayal of a hot educational topic. --Patricia Hassler

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

ROBERT ROTHMAN is a senior associate at the National Alliance for Restructuring Education. As an associate editor for Education Week, he covered a broad range of national, state, and local education issues. Rothman also spent a year as a visiting researcher at the Center for Research Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing at the University of California, Los Angeles Graduate School of Education.