The Edweek article, “Three Important Critiques of Standardized assessment,” details three reasons why high stakes testing should be removed from the public education system. Firstly, high stakes testing encourages “teaching to the test.” Teachers focus much of their classroom time on test content without fostering the necessary critical thinking skills to move beyond rote memorization. Secondly, high stakes testing unfairly distributes resources and attention. Teachers are encouraged to focus on students at the “cut off” point, meaning students who are almost proficient but not quite, while devoting less energy to students at both ends of the spectrum. Even though the morality of this is questionable, it’s often viewed as the most effective way to improve scores. Lastly, high stakes testing comes with immense power and control. It not only puts pressure on teachers, but also on administrators and, most importantly, students. This can negatively impact the tone of the classroom and the stress levels of those inside it.¹

The second Edweek article, “3 Ways That Performance-Based Assessment Addresses 3 Important Critiques of Standardized Assessment,” is a response to the first. McCrann agrees that the current testing model is flawed, but he argues that assessment of some kind is necessary to move students forward. In his article, he shows how performance based assessment can help fix the problems raised by Lynch. The issue of “teaching to the test” can be mitigated by allowing teachers to create their own assessments. Teachers understand the needs of their students best and so can develop, “assessments worth teaching to.” In addition, by implementing a performance based model, which could look like a historical debate or a science experiment, students are encouraged to think critically while also providing valuable information to their teachers. McCrann argues that data collection is important, but he agrees that the high stakes environment is unhealthy. Rather than putting so much emphasis on an annual test, he thinks that teachers should be awarded more credit in their understanding of the classroom and that their evaluations should be used to, “start conversations not end reviews.”²

1. McCrann, J. (2016). 3 Ways That Performance-Based Assessment Addresses 3 Important Critiques of Standardized Assessment. Edweek.
2. Lynch, M. (2016). Three Important Critiques of Standardized Assessment. Edweek.