No clear benefits to high stakes tests

published 1/28/2009

Members of the House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee began to deconstruct the high-stakes assessment dilemma by hearing research on test effectiveness. (Watch the meeting.)

Dr. John Robert Warren, associate professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota, told policymakers his three-year study of such testing in 23 states indicates a clear pattern: States set high standards but back off as “political will erodes” in the face of failure rates and legal challenges. Resulting “compromise solutions” neither help graduation rates nor boost student achievement, he said.

Rep. Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield) asked Warren if there was a “bell curve” in his national studies indicating some rare example of effective high-stakes, high standards testing, “or are we in uncharted waters?” he asked.

“Uncharted waters,” Warren replied.

He said legislators could choose to maintain high standards and high stakes testing if they are willing to live with the likely outcome of lower graduation rates, at least in the short term, but that there is no clear fiscal or pedagogical benefit to doing so.

- Mike Cook