The Grasshopper and the Ant: Motivational Responses of Low-Achieving Students to High-Stakes Testing

Abstract

Advocates of high-stakes testing argue that providing strong incentives for students to take learning more seriously will result in greater student effort and motivation. Opponents argue that these policies set up low-achieving students to fail, looking to research on motivation for evidence that extrinsic and negative incentives such as the threat of retention will undermine students' engagement in school. This article seeks to evaluate these claims by examining the responses of 102 low-achieving sixth- and eighth-grade students to Chicago's highly publicized effort to end social promotion. Does this policy lead students to work harder? If so, to what extent does hard work pay off? The majority of these students described increased work effort under the policy. They reported greater attention to class work, increased academic press and support from teachers, and more time spent studying outside school. These efforts were confirmed by teachers' reports. Students with high levels of work effort generally had greater-than-average learning gains and positive promotional outcomes. Approximately one third, however, showed little work effort despite a desire not to be retained. These students faced significantly larger skill gaps and barriers to learning both within and outside school than did their peers with high work effort. How teachers manage high-stakes testing policies—whether they create environments that make low-achieving students feel supported and efficacious in responding to new demands and whether they direct students' efforts in productive ways—has an important impact on student motivation and passing rates.

Common Core Standards and their Impact on Standardized Test Design: A New York Case Study

“…For example, the high stakes associated with the tests have often made teachers feel pressured to teach to the middle at the "expense of the lowest performing students" (Kesler, 2013, p. 510). These findings were similar to those by Clarke et al (2003) and Roderick and Engel (2001) who found that high-stakes tests undermined struggling students' motivation. Further research has suggested that correlations exist between high-stakes tests and dropout rates (Amrein & Berliner, 2003).…”

Pratiques de pondération des résultats d’enquêtes à grande échelle aux notes scolaires en mathématiques

“…encore, les résultats sont mitigés et varient grandement selon les conditions méthodologiques (par ex., âge, niveau d'habileté, palier scolaire) (levitt et al, 2011). les constats brossés par ces études suggèrent que les résultats des enquêtes à grande échelle mènent à une sous-estimation des capacités réelles du rendement des élèves, surtout dans le cas des élèves à risque d'échec ou en difficulté d'apprentissage (luce-Kapler & Klinger, 2005 ;roderick & engel, 2001 ;van Barneveld et al, 2012). le peu de valeur accordé par les élèves aux enquêtes à grande échelle à faible enjeu peut se traduire par une propension de ces derniers à deviner les éléments de réponses, à omettre de répondre à certaines questions ou à refuser de remplir le test.…”

Achievement at whose expense? A literature review of test-based grade retention policies in U.S. school

“…Test-based retention policies also have a potential spillover effect on students who are not retained (Allensworth & Nagaoka, 2010;Greene & Winters, 2007). The threat of retention itself, along with extra supports like after-school tutoring and summer school are likely to motivate students who are promoted to work harder as well, especially students who place a high value on passing such tests and believe a passing score is within their reach (Roderick & Engel, 2001).…”