ERIC Number: ED447178
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 2000
Testing! Testing! What Every Parent Should Know about School Tests.
Popham, W. James
This book is intended to help parents understand more about the tests their children take in school. The pros and cons of different types of tests are explained, and the proper use of standardized tests is discussed. Each chapter contains a brief summary of the topic, with follow-up activities and a list of resources a parent could bring to the attention of teachers or school administrators. The chapters are: (1) "School Tests--Why Should Parents Care"; (2) "Core Concepts of Educational Testing"; (3) "The Misuses of Standardized Test Scores as Indicators of Educational Effectiveness"; (4) "Making Sense Out of Standardized Test Scores"; (5) "Common Classroom Tests: When Students Choose Their Answers"; (6) "Common Classroom Tests: When Students Construct Their Answers"; (7)"Rubrics: Potentially Useful Scoring Tools"; (8) "Performance Tests"; (9) "Portfolio Assessment"; (10) "Assessing Children's Affect"; (11) "The Pressure To Improve Test Scores--and Its Consequences"; (12) "How Students Are Graded"; and (13) "How To Evaluate Teachers." An appendix contains drafts of letters from parents. (Contains 47 figures.) (SLD)
Descriptors: Constructed Response, Educational Testing, Elementary Secondary Education, Parents, Performance Based Assessment, Scoring Rubrics, Standardized Tests, Standards, Student Evaluation, Test Construction, Test Use, Testing Problems
Allyn & Bacon, 200 Old Tappan Rd., Old Tappan, NJ 07675. Tel: 800-922-0579 (Toll Free). Web site: http://www.vig.abacon.com.
Publication Type: Books; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A