Should primary schools reduce their dependence on testing to measure performance levels?

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. In particular, my gratitude goes out to friends, facilitator and family for extensive and helpful comments on early drafts.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names & surname here], declare that the following dissertation/thesis and its entire content has been an individual, unaided effort and has not been submitted or published before. Furthermore, it reflects my opinion and take on the topic and is does not represent the opinion of the University.

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ABSTRACT

This research study describes the phenomenon of testing and assessment in detail. It further discussion the uses of assessments and how it works in schools. The dissertation also describes how test scores and grading affects students and teacher's perceptions. By conducting a quantitative study, the researcher identified opinions of teachers regarding testing the school's dependency on testing methods. It further identified the advantages and disadvantages of completely depending on standardised testing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Research Background1

Research Aim and Objectives2

Research Questions2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3

Introductions3

Need to Assess4

Summative Assessments vs. Formative Assessments7

Tests8

Understanding of Grades10

Testing in Primary Schools13

Test Preparation14

Effectiveness of Tests16

Purpose of Testing17

Reading Skills and Standardized Tests18

The Role of Standardized Tests20

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY23

Research Method23

Data Collection23

Literature Search23

Data Analysis25

Qualitative Data Analysis25

Quantitative Data Analysis25

Participants' Rights26

Sample27

Validity27

Ethical Considerations28

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS30

Results30

Discussion35

Importance of Tests35

Disadvantage35

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION39

REFERENCES40

BIBLIOGRAPHY44

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Research Background

Increasingly, the results of tests are being used to evaluate schools and curricula. For example, in response to public pressure, a number of school districts are now publishing school-average test scores, and some states have begun to give out average test scores for school districts. Federally-sponsored and state-sponsored experimental programs ordinarily are evaluated largely on the basis of such test scores.

Designed to measure individual performance, these tests until recently were used mainly for student course placement. In their application to the evaluation of schools and educational programs, however, errors have been made that have led to incorrect inferences about the programs and their effects, and, partly for this reason, school administrators are offering strong resistance to this use of test scores. However, if the tests are valid for measuring the performance of individual students, they are valid also for measuring the school's program provided the correct comparisons are made. It is important, therefore, to examine past practice for some of the errors and inaccuracies that lead to invalid conclusions, and to establish appropriate comparison measures that will render the test scores useful for judging the performance of a school or a program.

At the outset, it is important to recognize that the tests used to measure the performance of districts, schools, or programs tend to be narrow in scope, most often covering only two areas of student performance: verbal and mathematical skills. Presumably, there are two reasons that the testing does not cover a broader range: Some areas (e.g., social studies, history, and foreign languages) do not have the consensus about goals that exists with regard to verbal ...