Standards and Assessment

Research and Best Practices: High Stakes Assessment

The Impact of Mandated Standardized Testing on Minority Students (1995) Please note: This publication was reprinted with permission from the Journal of Negro Education. Authors: Richard G. Lomax, Northern Illinois University; Mary Maxwell West, Lesley College; Maryellen C. Harmon, Boston College; Katherine A. Viator, Massachusetts Department of Education; and George F. Madaus, Boston College This study examines the impact of mandated standardized testing on curriculum and instruction in mathematics and science for minority students. The six most widely used test batteries in the U.S. were evaluated to determine their emphasis on thinking, conceptual knowledge, and procedural knowledge in mathematics and science. Survey data were obtained from 2,229 mathematics and science teachers of high- and low-minority classes, and interviews were conducted with 289 urban educators. The tests were found to fail to adequately sample higher order thinking, high-level conceptual or high-level procedural knowledge in either subject. Teachers of high-minority classes were found more likely to report negative impacts of standardized testing on teacher practice and minority student achievement in mathematics and science. Introduction Method Results Discussion Conclusion Footnotes and References