The purpose of this study was to explore elementary students' perceptions of high-stakes testing. Although researchers have investigated the perceptions of teachers (Barksdale-Ladd & Thomas, 2000;Gordon & Reese, 1997;Hoffman, Assaf, & Paris, 2001), parents (Barksdale-Ladd & Thomas, 2000), administrators (Nolen, Haladyna, & Haas, 1999), student teachers (Sturtevant, White, & Dunlap, 2001), and even policy makers (Atkinson & Miller, 1999), little is known about children's perceptions of high-stakes testing. In the midst of a wave of nationwide attention to test scores, we wondered what we could learn about the testing milieu from the primary stakeholders-the children. The High-Stakes MilieuIn the past 20 years, large-scale statewide testing has become increasingly prevalent in this country. Although states differ regarding the types of tests used, most states implemented these tests in response to A Nation at Risk (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983), which described the American education system as "mediocre" and recommended new "rigorous and measurable standards" that could give our country a competitive edge (p. 1). Initially, these tests were mandated by state legislatures and policymakers, but they have recently been bolstered by the federal government as a result of the No Child Left Behind legislation. As tests have become more prevalent, they have also become increasingly high-stakes in nature. For example, early statewide tests were used to determine graduation from high school. Now, most states use these tests for making decisions on promotion and retention across several grade levels, as well as high school graduation (Allington, 2002;Barksdale-Ladd & Thomas, 2000;Hoffman et al., 2001;Horn, 2003). Concerns over accountability in the public schools have led to a nationwide demand for yardsticks by which school districts, schools, teachers, and students can be measured and compared. Even realtors publish local high-stakes test scores as a means of selling the quality and value of homes (Amrein & Berliner, 2002).However, many educators are questioning the value and validity of these tests. Educational research does not reflect positively upon high-stakes testing (Barksdale-Ladd & Thomas, 2000;Gordon & Reese, 1997;Hoffman et al., 2001;Jones et al., 1999;Triplett, Barksdale, & Leftwich, 2003). One of the recent criticisms of high-stakes testing centers on poor and minority students. Amrein and Berliner (2002) reported that "high-stakes testing policies have had a disproportionately negative impact on students from racial minority and low socioeconomic backgrounds" (p. 10). Their research revealed that poor and minority students are more likely to have failing scores on high-stakes tests. These findings relate directly to those of Wilkins (1999), who found that success on high-stakes tests could be predicted by the demographic opportunity structure of the local community. Kohn (2000) argued that use of high-stakes testing in decisions about promotion and retention would lead to high dropout ...
This article reports findings from interviews with 59 teachers and 20 parents in two large states. Both have standards, attendant benchmarks, and standardized tests to assess students on the standards. Interview protocols from teachers and parents rendered data informing us about (a) teacher and parent knowledge of state standards and testing; (b) teacher test administration and student preparation practices; (c) effects of tests on teachers, parents, and students; (d) how teachers make instructional decisions based on these tests; and (e) the value of such tests. Teachers and parents were unanimous about (a) the intense stress on all involved, (b) the undermining of meaningful instruction and learning, and (c) the high stakes involved. Differences existed between teachers and parents in the two states. Implications address the need for stakeholders in children’s education to make known the deleterious effects of state testing to those in charge of state-mandated testing.
This article describes a qualitative research project that examined pen pal letters exchanged between children in Virginia, USA, and Malawi in Sub‐Saharan Africa. The goal was to study the nature of communication between students living in these two very different cultural contexts. The results of this study indicated that there were three primary themes within the pen pal letters between the primary and elementary students: daily life and culture, language, and connections. The students enjoyed sharing information about all aspects of their daily life and culture with their pen pals, and they were able to communicate meaningfully with one another on these topics. The students followed the language patterns established by one another in their letters, and they made attempts to use terminology that would be readily understandable to one another. Each theme found in the study is explored, and the value of using pen pal exchanges to support the development of literacy and cultural understandings is discussed. Recommendations are made for establishing pen pal exchanges in international contexts.
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