Exconde 1

Jessica Exconde
Mr. Newman
English 101: Rhetoric
15 September 2014
Statement of Scope for the Annotated Bibliography
The use of standardized tests has been debated many times. Every person that has at least
gone to grade school has taken one. Their purpose is to measure ones ranking on a school-,
regional-, and national-level. Standardized tests can often be biased and futures can be
determined by just one number. Thankfully today, many universities are accepting essays in the
place of a standardized test score. Although some argue that standardized testing is beneficial for
student improvement and success, they often only test memory and reward guessing, neither of
which effectively evaluate skills used outside of the classroom such as responsibility and
attitude.
This essay will explore why standardized testing should be reevaluated and redesigned to
encourage the development of useful skills other than memory and the ability to guess. I will
provide specific techniques that administrators and teachers can use in place of, or alongside,
standardized tests in order to sufficiently recognize an individual students performance and
improvement. I will also use sources to support my thesis, as well as explore the opposing
argument in order to show my full understanding of the topic and my confidence concerning my
opinion.
This selected bibliography includes articles on the topic of standardized testing and the
effect it has on students learning as well as teachers and the importance of their role in the
classroom. With all of the articles, they focus on the detriment standardized testing has on

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education. Each of them point out how not every student is the same person or has the same
experiences and learning styles. This is a main point I would focus on in the essay as it is a
recurring idea in the sources and I would have strong supporting evidence. Falk also addresses
the good aspect of standards-based assessment and I would utilize this to further support my
thesis. Popham specifically examines five tests and weighs out the pros and the cons of
standardized tests which gives me a better understanding of the topic and, again, helps support
my thesis by providing the counter argument. Weber and Stewart compare traditional standardsbased assessment to a suggested performance assessment based on student progress.

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Annotated Bibliography
Falk, Beverly. Standards-based Reforms: Problems and Possibilities. Phi Delta Kappan
1 Apr. 2002: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. Beverly Falks main argument is that
standards-based assessment fails to help recognize a diverse student populations
academic and social potential. Education has been centered around the students ability to
improve on tougher and more extensive tests as the student gets older. This reduces
teaching to test preparation and a one-size-fits-all type of learning. And although there is
a standard, there are many differences in types of assessments and accountability systems
used. Falk points out that standard assessments can either fully support a classrooms
success or it can create higher failing rates and constraints on education. She examines
critical challenges that both teachers and students face, addresses the counterargument by
stating all of the effective ways standards-based assessment can be used, and the
significance of teacher education.
Moore, Wayne. Facts and Assumptions of Assessment: Technology, the Missing Link.
Journal (Technological Horizons in Education) 30 (2003): n. pag. elibrary. Web. 16
Sept. 2014. According to Moores article, education is considered a big issue in
campaigns. With reforming the curriculum, assessment and accountability are looked at
with scrutiny. Presidents such as Clinton and Bush believed that national tests with
benchmarks, in which schools would have to pass as a whole in order to allow the school
to continue educating students, is a necessity for the future of American education. Also,
the focus would shift from supporting educational systems to supporting the needs of the
students. Although this is a good idea, Moore points out that standardized testing only
gauges whether a student can recognize or recall information. He also states that
educators should connect their lessons to real-world situations in order for the students to

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become effective citizens. The last thing Moore touches on in his article is the role of
technology in education and how programs can help develop students knowledge.
Popham, James W. Uses and Misuses of Standardized Tests. NASSP Bulletin 1 Feb.
2001: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. As the title of the article suggests, Popham
discusses the uses and misuses of standardized tests. He does this by examining five tests
from three publishers that are used in todays schools. He also states that in order to use a
standardized test correctly, educators must be assessment literate which means they must
understand the outcomes of and how to proceed after an assessment is taken. Popham
notes that standardized tests can be used to let parents and teachers know where their
student stands with placement in a more advanced course or extra help if needed. Misuses
include evaluation of a teacher or school and using the test scores to aide in lesson plans.
Popham provides a resolution to these misuses by stressing the need for assessment
literacy.
Travis, Jon E. Meaningful Assessment (Alternative Student Assessment Methods).
Clearing House 15 May 1996: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. Travis discusses
how standardized testing tends to be confined to knowledge and skills and how the
knowledge and skills needed in the classroom are not well represented on most of the
tests which rely on lower cognitive skills and is limited to measuring them against a
standard. He deems it necessary that students should be measured by their own growth in
academics as well as attitudes and behavior. In fact, Travis compares standardized testing
to only taking a persons pulse to determine their health; it is incomplete and fails to
share other aspects of the patient, or in this case, student. It is also imperative to
understand that not every student is the same type of person. Students have different

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backgrounds, learning styles, and experiences. No single instrument could be realistically
sufficient in measuring an individual students performance. As a resolution to the
inaccuracy of standardized tests, Travis lists some alternative assessment techniques such
as a portfolio that highlights students improvement and accomplishments and mandatory
interviews that allow teachers to really grasp and understand where a student excels or
fails and adjust their lessons accordingly.
Weber, Mel, and Bob R. Stewart. Authentic Assessment: Good or Bad? Agricultural
Education Magazine Apr. 2001: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. Weber and Stewart
discuss how debates over education arent new. However, standards-based reform is and
it emphasizes that all students are held to a high standard now and is expected to be
attained. They also point out that standard in this case does not call for a standardized
curriculum where all students learn the same things and develop the same skills. They
state how each student comes from a different background and has a different way of
learning and evaluating a students progress is necessary. It is also important to test
students on what they already know. This is the concept of authentic assessment and is
designed to move away from true or false statements and to focus instead on a students
true understanding of the topic instead of relying on guessing. Weber and Stewart also
provide comparisons between traditional and authentic/performance assessments.