The push for national examinations is motivated by unrealistic expectations about the information they will yield, according to this writer, who looks at current proposals to transform the functions of a widely accepted national assessment instrument.
References
1.
Alexander, L., and James, H.T.The Nation's Report Card: Improving the Assessment of Student Achievement. Report of the Study Group. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Education, 1987.
2.
Jaeger, R. "General Issues in Reporting of NAEP Trial State Assessment Results ." In Assessing Student Achievement in the States: Background Studies. Stanford, Calif.: National Academy of Education, 1992.
3.
Koretz, D.M.; Linn, R.L.; Dunbar, S.B.; and Shepard, L.A. "The Effects of High-Stakes Testing on Achievement: Preliminary Findings About Generalization Across Tests." In Effects of High Stakes Testing on Instruction and Achievement. Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association and theNational Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago, Ill., April 5, 1991.
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National Council on Education Standards and Testing.Raising Standards for American Education: A Report to Congress, the Secretary of Education, the National Education Goals Panel, and the American People . Washington, D.C.: National Council , 1992.
