Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 September 2004 — Page 7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE A7

EDUCATION DOES MAHER

Who really benefits from high stakes testing?

By LEROY ROBINSON This is the time of year that the hoopla over stantlardized testingbegiastogain its momentum. This isalsothetimeofyear when I think of all the time that goes into the preparation of these standardized exams. I think of the dedication of many schooldistricts to improve their scores from the previous year, the pressure that Lscoastantly placed upon schud administrators, along with the math and language arts teachers, and the consistent dismal scores of our Afri-can-American school children. All of these thoughts also brought me to ask this question - who really benefits from these standardized tests? Honestly, I arp still not convinced that the students are the ones who receive the most benefit from these yearly-standardized exams. Prior to the results being released in the spring, administrators, teachers, and parents are on pins and needles w aiting to see if their students scored aboveor below the state and national averages. Regardless of the results, the preparation for tills “dog-chasing-its-tail” experience begins all over again during the first few weeks of school. With all of this attention and preparation being given towards these pencil and paper standardized tests, one could wonder how much actual teaching Is going on, as opposed to the “teaching-to-the-test" methods that have become very popular as of late. With this question in mind (Who really benefits from these standardized tests?), while conducting a little research, I came across some very relevant information that was released by School of Education Professor Ellen Brantlinger, Indiana University, Bloomington. For the next two weeks, with her permission, I will re-print much of her research in this column. I hope you find it as informative as I have and I hope it answers the question that so many of as have... who really benefits. Abstract In this examination of the trend for states to require students to pass graduation exit exams to receive the high school diploma I, ask Italian Marxist Antonio Granftci’s (1971/ 1929-1935) essential question, ‘Who benefits?” To understand the social meanings of who passes and who fails such tests, the broad topic of social hierarchy creation and maintenance is engaged. Until recently, studentswhostuck it out in school and successfidly completed certainrequireda)urses, which frequently were adapted to their own achievement levels, received a high school diploma Hence, the majority of students who went to school for 12 years graduated. Regardless of their post-school plans, graduation has been perceived as a rite of passage to adulthood for American adolescents. Recently, things have changed. An increasing numberofstateshaveinstitutedhighstakes graduate exit exams (also known as gateway, certification, and competencyexams), which limit secondary students’ eligibility for a diploma to those who pass the test. As of Januaiy 2001,18 states had legislated requirements for students to pass a uniform, large-scale assessment to receive high school diplomas, and six more planned to adopt one within three years. If statistics elsewhere are similar to those in Indiana between a third and,a half of sophomores initially fail the test; of those remaining in school until their senior year, 14 percent fail and so do not receive diplomas. I make the case that varii >us forms of dominance are established or strengthened through recent state and federal legislation. Because it is clear that scx'ial hierarchies are created or intensified through othciiil high-stakes mandates, I identify losers (who fiiil the test and remain at the bottom ofhierarchies) and, m< ire importantly, winners, who retain or improve their position at the top of hierarchies. I also maintain that dominant groups set normative standards and ase certain liberal and neo-liberal ideologies to contrive legitinuicy for the tests and for social hierarchies generally. Who foils? Who l< uses? Withinashort period < iftime after

the exit exams were adopted it became clear that poor and minority children were the ones who were failing. I n ma j< ir urb;ui d istricts across Indiana, minority failure was higher than 50 percent - rates similar to Blacks and I iitinos in Texas. Racially disproportionate outcomes must have been anticipated; Blackstudents inevitably stxneknver than white students on all school achievement measures. ATexas judge acknowledged that graduation tests had a “legally meaningful ;ind disparate impact against African-American and Latino students," nevertheless he concluded that “test-based discrimination is not illegal because only a h igh stakesexam can force students ;ind educators to work hard enough and be focused em nigh t< i learn the basic skills’ measured." Because of the history of racial segregation and social class d iscriminati< m, any informed educator would expect class- and race-related score disparities. Educators alsocould have predicted that the tests would raise further obstacles to poor students’ school success and access to enriched genera] education curriculum. The statistics regardingVho fails” high-stakes tests should not be surprising - they are the same students who fail in other sch(x>l enterprises: score below average on all tests, have low grade point averages, high rates of grade lev el retention, more punished infractions, poor school attendance records, and high dropout rates. Someareidentifiedasdlsabled, were disabled in the past but currently are not classified, or barely mlsscutoffcriterionfordlsabilityclassification. In the first year of the test, more than 1,000 diploma-track seniors with identified disabilities failed Indiana’s Graduation Qualifying Examination and thus were not eligible to receive high school diplomas. The American Civil Liberties Union brought forward a class-action lawsuit charging that gateway tests violated special education students’eonstitutional rights. Focusing on who passes rather

than who foils high-stakes tests I n contrast to the deleterious outcomes for low-income students, students who readily pass gateway tests on the first try are white and middle class. Educated in suburban schools or high “ability” groups in comprehensive elementary schools, then in honors, gifted/talented, or advanced placement sections during their secondary years, students who readily pass these new tests have high grade point averages and score above average on other tests. Middle and upper class students always are on the winning end of ranked orderings. Again, given that test scores inevitably sort students along social class lines and, based on what is known about correlations between most tests, the class- and race-linkedoutcomesmusthavebeen anticipated. Who benefits? In next week’seolumn, more from Professor Brantlinger and her thoughts on how the below listed groups are the real benefactors of high stakes testing: • Test producers. • Trans-global capitalists. • Media moguls. • Politicians and political pundits. • Conservatives. • Advocates ofschool privatization. • Enterprising school superintendents. • Professionals and the professions. • Members ofthe educated middle class. Author of Voluntary Servitude: Breaking the Chains: Mental and Psychological Slavery, currently on sale at X-Pression Bookstore and Gallery, located at 970 Fort Wayne A\e., Indianapolis (317) 264-1866. Leroy can also be heard each Thurs-dayfrom5-7p.m. on his weekly radio show. The Robinson Report, locally on-line at: newblackdty.com. For speaking engagements or education workshops, contact him at: [email protected] or write him at: 9701 K 63rd St, Indianapolis, IN.46236. Hiscontact number is (317)502-0272.

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