It’s election season again. And like clockwork, some politicians have pulled out their old talking points that attack standardized testing, “teaching to the test,” and even pledging to end testing altogether—playing on emotions they think will translate into votes this fall.
No one likes to take tests. But testing – the measurement of what individuals know and can do – is a fact of life, just as our reflection in a mirror shows us realities that we might not want to see.
Some politicians hope that by bashing standardized tests or calling for their total annihilation, those less-than-pleasant feelings will cause you to jump on their bandwagon and ultimately vote for them. Not so fast. What are they really selling? And can they actually do what they’re promising? What would be the implications?
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