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This 15 page paper provides an overview of views on the use of alternative assessments in comparison to the use of standardized testing. Bibliography lists 10 sources
Page Count:
15 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MH11_MHTestEngClas.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
assessments used in correlation with curriculum design, these types of tests have been the focus of criticisms in recent years. Questions raised about the value of these tests and
the impacts on student performance have been linked to an increasing use of standardized tests based on federal and state legislative mandates. Since the application of the No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB) in public schools in 2002, educators and administrators have focused more directly on the outcomes of standardized tests to direct curriculum design. Described by Madeja,
Dorn and Sabol (2004) as "testing mania," researchers have argued that the political climate has resulted in a push for an increased use of standardized testing. While the necessity
for standardized testing outcomes has been linked to NCLB and mandatory federal and state legislation, educators have begun to question whether standardized tests are the best indicator of student performance
or learning within an academic program (Madeja, Dorn and Sabol, 2004). The term standardized test generally refers to traditional testing methods that are utilized across the country to
create comparative documentation of student performance. Standardized tests can include multiple choice tests that correspond with teaching materials or large-scale mandated tests, including the Iowa Test of Basic Skills
(ITBS) or the NEWAs (the North West Evaluation Association), individualized assessments that are provided at different times during the course of a childs educational experience (Moore, 2003). Alternative assessments
refer to any number of options used to view student performance, including authentic assessments, which are based on classroom performance. Alternative assessments include rubric-based tasks, observations, student portfolios and
tasks designed to relate learner performance to goals and benchmarks. While standardized testing is passive and "close-ended," in terms of both the types of questions asked and the breadth
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