Children’s academic performance is often measured with the use of standardized tests. Those tests include, but are not limited to Achievement and Aptitude tests.

Achievement tests are used to measure what a child has already learned. Achievement tests are often used as measures of teaching effectiveness within a school setting and as a method to make schools that receive tax dollars (such as public schools, charter schools, and private schools that receive vouchers) accountable to the government for their performance.

Aptitude tests are designed to measure a student’s ability to learn or to determine if a person has potential in a particular program. These are often used at the beginning of a course of study or as part of college entrance requirements. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) are perhaps the most familiar aptitude tests to students in grades 6 and above. Learning test taking skills and preparing for SATs has become part of the training that some students in these grades receive as part of their pre-college preparation. Other aptitude tests include the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), and the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). Intelligence tests are also a form of aptitude test, which designed to measure a person’s ability to learn.^[1]

What Happened to No Child Left Behind?

In 2001, President Bush signed into effect Public Law 107-110, better known as the No Child Left Behind Act mandating that schools administer achievement tests to students and publish those results so that parents have an idea of their children’s performance. Additionally, the government would have information on the gaps in educational achievement between children from various social class, racial, and ethnic groups.

Schools that showed significant gaps in these levels of performance were mandated to work toward narrowing these gaps. Educators criticized the policy for focusing too much on testing as the only indication of student performance. Target goals were considered unrealistic and set by the federal government rather than individual states. Because these requirements became increasingly unworkable for schools, changes to the law were requested.

On December 12, 2015 President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This law is state driven and focuses on expanding educational opportunities and improving student outcomes, including in the areas of high school graduation, drop-out rates, and college attendance.^[2]

Watch selections from the following videos to gain a better understanding of different perspectives on the Common Core, state standards, and standardized testing in the US:

Video reviews the history of standardized testing in the US, how students are currently being tested, and how these testing practices and outcomes compare between the US and other countries.

Part One of the video reviews the history and implementation of the Common Core as well as the current implementation of state standards. Please note: Part Two discusses teacher salaries and Part Three discusses sex education in the US. While these topics may be of personal interest to you, they are not the focus of this chapter, so you can stop the video at the end of Part One (14 mins 29 secs).

Video provides an overview of standardized testing in the US, a brief history of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, a discussion of how testing has been tied to teacher pay, and the role of companies like Pearson Education in standardized testing. Please note: This segment of Last Week Tonight aired on HBO and it would be rated by TV Parental Guideline for containing suggestive dialogue and course/crude language. Overall, the segment offers a succinct overview of standardized testing in the US, but you can choose to watch the other videos and read the textbook for this information.

Video reviews a brief history of standardized testing in the US and No Child Left Behind, the intention of testing and how they are applied to school and accountability, and how some students and parents are opting out of standardized testing.