Testing, Testing

The latter portion of this article is very interesting—it is a fact that many are growing tired of the argument that “one size does not fit all,” but I must confess some overall weariness. True, we must endeavor to measure outcomes using “value added,” and in ways that enable comparisons to other institutions; however, where are the faculty in all of this?

Both the ETS report and Secretary’s report offer little comment about the role faculty play in this process. Let us say for a moment that a particular college does not seem to “make the grade” as far as some of these standardized tests are concerned. What then? The faculty are the machinery for movement at any respected institution; in my view, without including some form of locally-developed assessment, usually more qualitative in form (and thus less “valid” and “reliable” in the eyes of methodological perfectionists), anything that we do conclude from such assessment will end up in some report, filed away for yet another commission to digest and potentially hit faculty over the head with.

Our faculty are very motivated, highly professional, and dedicated to student learning. But why should they, or any group of faculty, truly care if they are not part of the process? In my view, future conversations need to focus on assessment methods that include faculty, produce specific, actionable information, and which are meaningful for faculty. And the current discussion does not seem to focus on that.

Sean McKitrick, Assistant Provost for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment at Binghamton University, at 7:55 am EDT on August 8, 2006

K16

If an employer thinks test scores are useful they could require applicants to take the GRE, either general or for an area. Many professions already have licensing exams.

If you impose a system of standardized tests on the nation’s colleges we will dumb down our curriculum to get students through it.

It is generally agreed that out unversity system — while needings changes — is the evny of the world. But, no one would say that about our high school systems. Yet most reformers want to push the universities to be more like the high schools! This is the real meaning of “K16″.

Mike, Math Prof, at 10:05 am EDT on August 8, 2006

But Mike (Math Prof)-

So are we just supposed to trust that you’re doing a good job teaching your students math that will prepare them for leadership in the 21st century? When you give your students A’s in your course, are you being fair? And what standards (if any) are you using to grade students? Is your curriculum just as rigorous as those from math courses at, say, MIT?

The problem is, for every “good” faculty member, there are two who absolutely suck at teaching, could care less about student learning ("you’re here to be weeded out, not to learn!"), and know little about assessing learning.

AC, at 11:00 am EDT on August 8, 2006

The grand scheme of tests

The test on the way in to be educated must be for the basics — on the way out — for the ability to perform.

Usually, the minority voice is more lucid than the majority. The herd mentality has been with us too long to allow the majority to continue to rule.

Multiple testing methods should be in play now with intense follow-up for accuracy. Begin with the LSAT which has proven to be a failure if the goal is to produce lawyers who wish to provide justice to the public.

Take the case of Isabella Miller-Jenkins. Why should Janet lose the four most formative years of Isabella’s life while the Courts ponder the weighty issues?

If access is to be denied, let it be swift so both of them can get on with their lives. No matter what a person’s views are on the issues presented, speed of decision counts for justice to prevail. My preference would be to focus on love rather than religious based hate. There are no tests for right and wrong given to incoming law students.

The legal profession is insensitive to the needs of the public. The tests to get into law school and for graduates must stress justice to the public.

Another case in point is the lack of changes in criminal trial methods after the awareness created by DNA that over 124 people were wrongfully convicted of capital offenses.

The list of Judicial Branch failures is endless — to correct, we begin with better tests — to develop better criteria — to attract better students — to produce a better product — to measure by results.

William Sumner Scott, J.D.Judicial Equality Foundation, Inc.

wss@jefound.org

William Sumner Scott, J.D., at 11:25 am EDT on August 8, 2006

Education vs. Training

I agree with S.H.J. The new Commission is just another tool for politicians and businessmen to use in their attempt to turn education into simple job training. I want no part of that. I am an educator; my job is to instruct students in how to educate themselves, to become good, thoughtful human beings, not to train workers.

I cannot force anyone to learn anything; they must be motivated to do so. We need to change, not how and what we teach, but societal norms that say college = job training. No, technical schools, professional schools, and so on, are for job training; College is for citizenship and personal development.

Leslie C. Miller, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Not representing my institution, at 3:00 pm EDT on August 8, 2006

AC: feedback, not interference

AC: Let’s suppose you are correct that only 1 in 3 mathematicians can teach or assess learning. Would it make sense to replace our judgment with that of a test designed by a group in which no one knows what they are doing?

Here is what is happening in the high schools with standardized math tests. During these tests students are given a formula sheet and may use any calculator they like. The result? Many high school math teachers tell their students not to bother learning something as basic as the formula for the area inside a circle. (I am not making this up. My niece was told exactly this!). It’s no big deal if they cannot add fractions, since these tests allow calculators. Further, there are no proofs and no graphing on the standardized tests. (They have “graphing” problems were the student is give a few graphs to chose from, making plugging in the method of choice.) This is the crowd you want to pass the torch to?

What to do? As I said, if an employer wants its new hires to take the general math test of the GRE they can do that. Graduate schools do this. Why reinvent the wheel? If employers do not like State U’s graduates, they will stop hiring them.

However, they question you are after is, I think, how can students and their families know this in advance? Educating first generation college students it like selling cars in a town where no one has ever driven. As I haven written elsewhere http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/07/commission the public needs a “Consumer’s Reports on Higher Education.” This will require a great deal of survey work and the Commission does advocate this to a degree. What I am against is having people who do not know math come in and tell us how to teach it. The folks who test cars for Consumer Reports could not design a car. They do not know how and should not stick their noises into the design meetings. But, they can drive a car into a wall and see what happens. We already survey the public about all kinds of social and economic questions. But, instead of just asking how much education they have had, ask where they went to high school or college. Then publish and let the chips fall were they may. Universities need feedback, but not interference.

Let me give a semi-related example. High schools know how many of their graduates go on to 4 year colleges. If the percent is high they brag on it. But, they have no idea what happens to their students when they get to college. I suggested to an administrator that we report how students from each high school (that have more than a handful of students with us) do in their first year. He liked the idea but said the information would have to be given to the high schools confidentially or else the high schools would not recommend us to their students. Even with confidential feedback this may still happen, and of course confidential feedback would likely violate all kinds of state open records laws. The feedback will have to come from people outside the system.

PS: If you really want to know how bad things are in parts of our higher ed system, survey the faculty. The stories we could tell …

Mike, Math Prof, at 4:45 am EDT on August 9, 2006

Ken,

Be careful what you wish for. Grade inflation is partly the unintended consequence of student evaluations of faculty teaching. Good people like you thought us faculty should be accountable to students. If you add on these ETS exams there will be all kinds of weird side effects. Colleges will create courses in how to pass these tests. Courses that do not help with the narrow things such tests can message will be dumbed down. How will writing 20 papers help students pass? How will upper level theoretical math courses help students with the basic math they will be tested on? If you test ‘em, we’ll ‘em down so they can pass.

If you want to know how good or bad a college is survey its graduates five years down the road. That is the messure that counts.

Mike, Math Prof, at 10:35 am EDT on August 9, 2006