CLE1210 Formative Assessment 1 (30%)

Paraphrasing Skills
(Take-home task)

Now that you have learnt ways of rewriting others’ ideas in your own words, you will consolidate
your knowledge by completing the first assessment task of this course. This task also prepares you
for Formative Assessment 2.

1. Type up your work for submission. Use the “Assignment Format” provided at the end
of this document. Submit Formative Assessment 1 by the deadline set by your
teacher.

2. Late submission of this assignment would receive a mark penalty, with exception to
those who have sought prior approval from teachers.
i. Being late for 1-9 calendar days: 20% deduction from this assignment
ii. Being late for 10 or more days: 0 mark will be given to this assignment

Below is the entire text studied in Unit 2.

The Issues of Standardized Testing

Richard Norris
(approx. 1260 words)

1 For many years, often very heated discussion has been taking place over standardized testing of
2 school children at specific ages. Those opposed to these kinds of impersonal tests criticize them
3 for dominating the curriculum at the expense of what they see as more valuable curriculum
4 areas. They also describe the psychological, emotional and physical suffering which is
5 experienced by significant numbers of students. Those who support the tests argue with as much
6 conviction that these tests are not only a necessary function to identify the basic sets of skills that
7 young people need to be able to operate in today’s fast-paced society but also a tool to ensure
accountability on the part of the deliverers of today’s education. This essay will examine the
8
arguments put forward by advocates and opponents of standardized testing and make a
9
recommendation. (137 words)
10
11
Advocates of standardized testing emphasize the need to know how competently or otherwise its
12 students, as the future workers, are performing in key subject areas such as Mathematics,
13 Science and English. In National Tests and Implications, Evers (2005) explains that this
14 information is necessary because there is a belief that the continued improvement of a country,
15 in terms, for example, of global competitiveness, increased productivity, and standards of living,
16 is dependent on “language, business, academic, technological, and workplace skills within the
17 population” (p.47). These skills become more sophisticated and demanding with each generation.
18 Improvement can only be achieved by monitoring student acquisition of the knowledge and skills
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19 within key subject areas. Evers (2005), having conducted a longitudinal study on students’
20 acquisition of skills in the United Kingdom, concludes that the government needs standardized
21 testing to show at which level students are at the ages of seven, eleven, fourteen and sixteen in
22 relation to clearly established benchmarks so that “progression (and non-progression) can be
23 clearly identified, [and] [p]roblem areas involving both students and teachers can be addressed at
24 the national, state, regional and local levels” (p.104). Evers’ views are representative of the
25 consensus among those educators that there is a basic set of skills necessary for economic
26 independence and if school leavers do not have these then their employment opportunities are
27 extremely limited. (222 words)
28
Not only is there a concern at the governmental level to ensure that the country is consistently
29
competitive, there is also a more fundamental imperative of promoting accountability. At the
30
heart of standardized testing is the notion of accountability of both government and schools.
31 Morton (2009) analyses the monitoring mechanisms in education in a number of European
32 countries and pinpoints some of their key features. He explains that given the public resources
33 they have been entrusted with, governments and schools are held responsible for ensuring the
34 learning outcomes of students, and as such, they need to be sure that “teachers are teaching
35 effectively and that students are acquiring language, knowledge and skills” (p.34). However,
36 accountability is difficult to measure unless there is recourse to figures and statistics. Thus,
37 quantitative outcomes are prioritized over qualitative outcomes. Greenberg (2008) observes the
38 general preference for quantitative outcomes in modern education. Qualitative outcomes are
39 acknowledged as being subjective. Quantitative outcomes, through the collection of data through
40 targets and measurement tools, are seen to be more objective in recording student abilities.
41 Advocates, therefore, argue that the most effective and objective method to ensure that this is
42 happening is through standardized testing, in which variables in assessment are reduced given
43 the same testing conditions students are subjected to. (212 words)
44
45 Opponents of standardized testing criticize these tests for establishing a regime in which the tests
46 and the accountability attached to them become ‘high stakes’ and produce ‘washback’ effects on
47 teaching. ‘Washback’ effects refer to the impact that tests have on the process of teaching and
48 learning. Teachers are pressurized by the three ‘Ps’, principals, parents and peers, to ensure that
49 the required number of their students achieve benchmark levels. Standardized tests supposedly
50 reflect what a student should be able to do in key areas at the four ‘key’ ages. Because of these
factors, teachers are forced to teach to the content of the tests. This determines the input and
51
the output of lessons which means the actual learning needs of the students are determined by
52
the outside testing authorities. Ironically, these tests largely test what matters least, facts rather
53
than opinion. Davidson’s (1999) research in this area provided sufficient data to indicate that
54
some of the richest, most meaningful and stimulating curriculum units are disappearing from
55 schools. She argues that “rigorous interdisciplinary projects are not being pursued because time
56 has to be given to input for the tests, which produces negative consequences on learning” (p.69).
57 It is also observed that the real curriculum and its subjects, for example, critical thinking and
58 areas in art education, which provide strategies and skills for the whole person, are sidelined by
59 the tests (Davidson, 1999). Opponents of standardized testing, therefore, contend that the
60 supposed benchmarks are often constructed solely to satisfy the education authorities. Evidence
61 is also cited by opponents that the benchmarks established by these organizations are closer to
62 ‘imagined’ or ‘idealistic’ levels rather than what students can do or need to do in the real world at
63 the various ages (Baker et.al, 2004). (291 words)
64
65 Another major argument against these tests is that they focus on specific areas and ignore the
66 broader development of the child. One of the major aims of education and teachers is to develop
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67 all aspects of the child. However, children develop, grow and acquire knowledge at different rates
68 and at different ages. Patel (2006) states that “[to] assume that every child is at the same
69 developmental level at seven, nine, fourteen and sixteen [is to] defy all that is known about child
70 development” (p.45). The author conducted an investigation on the linguistic skills of 2,000
71 school children at different ages and examined the relationship between age and cognitive
72 development. He proposes the idea of “personalized learning”, which is to help children learn at
73 their own pace and handle tests better when the time is appropriate (Patel, 2006, p.65). In his
74 discussion of the drawbacks of standardized testing, Patel concludes that because many
75 candidates are not ready for imposed mass testing on the same day and at the same time,
noticeable personal pressures are created. Patel’s arguments and observations on personalized
76
learning cast doubts on the view of ‘fairness’ held by proponents of standardized testing, and
77
have been cited as evidence by other critics who believe in students’ inabilities to cope with the
78
psychological demands and educational expectations of these tests. Similarly, Richardson (2004)
79 suggests that proponents may have failed to take into account personal pressures experienced by
80 young people, which may have led to significant numbers of students under-performing or
81 performing poorly (as cited in Patel, 2006). Youngsters in emotional states such as these are
82 unlikely to see the purpose of school and education in a positive light. (278 words)
83
84 The debate over standardized testing is unlikely to be resolved in the short term. While there are
85 substantial arguments for the need for accountability in the delivery of education to students as
86 well as the need for the next generation of workers to be work ready, there are also powerful
87 reasons why these standardized tests interfere with the real purpose of education, which is to
88 develop well-rounded, knowledgeable, critically aware, functional citizens of the future. On
89 balance, the arguments against standardized testing carry more weight. Individual needs need to
90 be recognized and that option is offered through testing to standards but only when each student
91 is ready to be tested. (110 words)

References

Baker, C., Adamson, E. G., Jones, S., Morrison, P., & Taylor, V. C. (2004). The impact of
standardized testing. Education Journal, 10(2), 17-28.

Davidson, J. K. (1999). Standardized testing: Beneficial or harmful?. Evaluation in Education,

7, 69-77.

Evers, D. (2005). National tests and implications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Greenberg, H. (2008). A critical view on standardized testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Morton, A. F. (2009). The effects of standardized testing on school and students. Journal of
Testing, 3(1), 34-42.

Patel, J. S. (2006). Drawbacks of standardized testing. Journal of Language Testing, 8, 45-65.

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Assessment 1: Preparation

To prepare you better for Formative Assessment 2, you will paraphrase parts/excerpts (No. 1-6
below) from the text. Each item carries 5 marks. Please note the following:

(a) Each answer should consist of

(i) in-text reference in APA format (Page number is not needed in a paraphrase)

(ii) Your paraphrase:

 This is a paraphrasing and NOT a summarizing task. Try to maintain
accuracy in content by not changing/taking away key ideas in the original
text. Accordingly, your paraphrase should not be significantly shorter than
the excerpt provided.
 Decide on the sentence structure you want to follow. You do not need to
follow the sentence structures given. For example, you can break down an
original sentence into a number of shorter sentences.

(iii) End-of-text reference in APA format (decide if it is a direct or secondary

reference)

(b) Use the bibliographical data of the text “The Issues of Standardized Testing” in your
in-text and end-of-text references:

Author: Richard Norris

Date: 2009
Journal: Education Assessment
Volume: 4
Pages: 123-124

(c) Before you complete this assessment task, revise the following sections/topics we
have studied/covered so far:

 Section “Six steps to paraphrase a text” in Unit 2

 Section “Paraphrasing: Language Strategies” in Unit 2
 CLE1210 Guide to Citation Skills – Section 1 “Paraphrase – APA Citation Format”
 CLE1210 Guide to Citation Skills – Section 4 “Citing Secondary Sources”

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Assessment 1: No. 1- 6 (30 marks)

Before you answer each question, read briefly what comes before and after the excerpt in the
original text to ensure you have understood the flow/emphasis of the argument clearly.

Question 1
From the source: Lines 14--18

In National Tests and Implications, Evers (2005) explains that this information is necessary
because there is a belief that the continued improvement of a country, in terms, for example,
of global competitiveness, increased productivity, and standards of living, is dependent on
“language, business, academic, technological, and workplace skills within the population”
(p.47).

Important Reminder:
When you paraphrase Evers’s ideas, note that you have not read Evers’s book but have only
learnt about Evers’s ideas through Richard Norris’s article. Take this into account when you
prepare the correct format for in-text and end-of-text references. By the same logic, you have
to decide whether it is a direct or secondary reference you have consulted for Questions 2-8
below.

Question 2
From the source: Lines 20-23

Evers (2005), having conducted a longitudinal study on students’ acquisition of skills in the
United Kingdom, concludes that the government needs standardized testing to show at which
level students are at the ages of seven, eleven, fourteen and sixteen in relation to clearly
established benchmarks (p.104).

Note: “longitudinal study” and “standardized testing” are specialized terms in academic research
and they need not be replaced/re-phrased.

Question 3
From the source: Lines 29-31

Not only is there a concern at the governmental level to ensure that the country is consistently
competitive, there is also a more fundamental imperative of promoting accountability. At the
heart of standardized testing is the notion of accountability of both government and schools.

Note: “accountability” and “standardized testing” are specialized terms in academic research and
they need not be replaced/re-phrased.

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Question 4
From the source: Lines 51-54

Because of these factors, teachers are forced to teach to the content of the tests. This
determines the input and the output of lessons which means the actual learning needs of the
students are determined by the outside testing authorities.

Note: Read what comes before this excerpt to know what “these” refer to. In your paraphrase, you
have to assume that your reader/teacher has never read the original article. Your responsibility is
to provide the context clear to your reader/teacher.

Question 5
From the source: Lines 55-58

Davidson’s (1999) research in this area provided sufficient data to indicate that some of the
richest, most meaningful and stimulating curriculum units are disappearing from schools. She
argues that “rigorous interdisciplinary projects are not being pursued because time has to be
given to input for the tests, which produces negative consequences on learning” (p.69).

Note:
1. Apart from paraphrasing the part that runs from “Davidson’s (1999) research… from
schools”, please also paraphrase the direct quotation from Davidson in your own words
(i.e., “rigorous interdisciplinary projects are not… negative consequences on learning”).
2. “interdisciplinary” is a specialized term in academic research and it need not be
replaced/re-phrased.

Question 6
From the source: Lines 75-77

In his discussion of the drawbacks of standardized testing, Patel concludes that because many
candidates are not ready for imposed mass testing on the same day and at the same time,
noticeable personal pressures are created

Note: “standardized testing” is a specialized term in academic research and it need not be
replaced/re-phrased.

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 Type up your assignment by using the format below for each question (No.1-6).

Assignment Format
Question 1

Your own paraphrase with in-text reference:

According to Evers (2005, p.47), the information of students’ performance is essential as a

nations’ continued improvement in terms of global competitiveness, labour output and quality

of life depends on “language, business, academic, technological and work place skills within

the population” (as cited in Norris, 2009, p.123)

Write the end-of-text reference here:
Norris, R. (2009). The Issues of Standardized Testing. Education Assessment, 4, 123-124

Question 1

Your own paraphrase with in-text reference:

According to Evers (2005, p.104), a standardized test is necessary for the government in order
to know the level of students at seven, eleven, fourteen and sixteen years old in related to a clearly
established touchstone, after organizing a longitudinal study on students acquisition of skills in the
United Kingdom (as cited in Norris, 2009, p.123).

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