By Anthony M. Wanjohi
The earliest evidence of
standardized testing based on merit comes from China during the Han
dynasty. The concept of a state ruled by men of ability and virtue was an
outgrowth of Confucian philosophy. The imperial examinations covered the Six Arts
which included music, archery and horsemanship, arithmetic, writing, and
knowledge of the rituals and ceremonies of both public and private parts.
Later, the five studies (military strategies, civil law, revenue and taxation,
agriculture and geography) were added to the testing.
Standardized testing was
not traditionally a part of Western pedagogy; based on the sceptical and open-ended tradition of debate inherited
from Ancient Greece, Western academia favored the essay. However, given the
large number of school students during and after the [Industrial Revolution],
open-ended assessment of all students was not viable. Moreover, the lack of a
standardized process introduces a substantial source of measurement
error. .
A standardized test is
one that is administered under standardized or controlled conditions that
specify where, when, how, and for how long children may respond to the
questions or "prompts." Standardized tests should meet acceptable
standards for technical qualities in construction, administration, and use.
(Goodwin and Driscoll, 1980)
Standardized tests have
the qualities that provides a systematic procedure for describing behaviors,
whether in terms of numbers or categories, including
specified procedures for administration and scoring, test items that are
derived from experience, either by experiment or observation, rather than
theory, present the same tasks and require the same response modes from all
test takers, provide tables of norms to which the scores of test takers can be
compared in order to ascertain their relative standing (Goodwin and Driscroll, 1980).
Validity is the
accumulation of evidence to support a specific interpretation of the test
results. Since validity is a characteristic of test results, a test may have
validities of varying degree, for different purposes. The concept of
instructional validity relates to how well the test is aligned to state
standards and classroom instructional objectives (AAC, 2003).
Langhorst (1989)
states that it is evaluated by the extent to which the instrument measures what
it purports to measure. Validity, therefore, is always in regard to a
particular test use.
Reliability refers to
the consistency of test scores. Various methods are used to calculate and
estimate reliability depending on the purpose for which the test is used.
Adequate reliability depends upon a low magnitude of errors of measurement.
Such errors can be introduced, for example, by inconsistencies in the
performance of those being tested or variability in their interest, motivation,
or other emotional and physical states, which may be unrelated to the purpose
of the test. Such influences make stability in test scores of young children
very problematic (Langhorst, 1989).
3.0 Procedures in Test
Administration
Hills (1992) stated that
individually administered standardized tests can serve important purposes when
they are selected wisely and used as intended by the test developers, and their
results are not over generalized or misinterpreted. School personnel must not,
however, limit assessment to such tests or allow the tests to dominate
assessment of young children. He quotes it later that “The primary strengths of
standardized tests, if they are properly designed and properly used, are that
they can eliminate biases in assessment of individual children and that they
provide data that can be aggregated, permitting comparisons of groups to a
standard.
The goal in
administration of standardized tests is to obtain the best possible sample of
student behavior under standard conditions. Strict adherence to the test
manual’s guidelines for administration and scoring is an absolute necessity.
The manual usually provides instructions and test items to be read to the
student.
Test administration
includes carefully following standard procedures so that the test is used in
the manner specified by the test developers. The goal of Test administration is
to obtain the best possible sample of students’ behavior under standard
conditions. Strict adherence to the test manuals that provide instructions to
the test and guidelines that are highlighted is absolutely necessary. The test
administrator should ensure that test takers work within conditions that
maximize opportunity for optimum performance (JCTP, 2002).
3.1 Before
administration of standardized test
According to AAC (2003),
before administration of standardized test, it is important that relevant
persons (students, teachers, administrators) are informed about the standard
testing procedures, purposes of the test, the kinds of tasks involved, the
method of administration, the scoring and reporting and have sufficient
practice experiences prior to the test to include practice as needed. Further
they should provide information on how to operate equipment for
computer-administered tests and practice in response to tasks, sufficiently
trained in their responsibilities and the administration procedures for the test,
have a chance to review test materials and administration sites and procedures
prior to the time for testing to ensure standardized conditions and appropriate
responses to any irregularities that may occur, arrange for appropriate
modifications of testing materials and procedures in order to accommodate test
takers with special needs and have a clear understanding of their rights and
responsibilities.
3.2 What should be done
during administration of test
American Counseling
Association (1997) observes that the following should be done during
administration of test:
The testing
environment: Testing environment
includes seating, work surfaces, lighting, room temperature, freedom from
distractions and psychological climate that are conducive to the best possible
performance of the examinees. The tester should make every effort to create a
comfortable testing environment with adequate space for sitting arrangements,
comfortable seats and desks for sitting and writing. There should also be
adequate lighting and ventilation to ensure comfortableness in the test room.
Test
administrators: Test administrators
should be sufficiently trained to be able to establish and maintain uniform
conditions and observe the conduct of students when large groups of individuals
are tested; They should also follow the instructions in the test manual;
demonstrate verbal clarity; use verbatim directions; adhere to verbatim
directions; follow exact sequence and timing; and use materials that are
identical to those specified by the test publisher.
Procedure/Test
protocol: A systematic and
objective procedure should be put in place for observing and recording
environmental, health, emotional factors, or other elements that may invalidate
test performance and results; deviations from prescribed test administration
procedures, including information on test accommodations for individuals with
special needs, are recorded.
Security: The security of test materials and
computer-administered testing software is protected, ensuring that only individuals
with a legitimate need for access to the materials/software are able to obtain
such access and that steps to eliminate the possibility of breaches in test
security and copyright protection are respected.
3.3 What should be done
after administration of test
Testing ends when all
the scheduled activities are completed and the time allotted is exhausted, or
the student is no longer able to work efficiently due to fatigue or loss of
concentration. At the end of the session, the tester should thank the students
for their cooperation and explain what will happen next. There might be further
testing another day, meeting of the students and tester to go over results. The
administrator should collect and inventory all secure test materials and
immediately report any breaches in test security and include notes on any
problems, irregularities, and accommodations in the test records (ACA, 1999).
These precepts represent
the basic process for all standardized tests and assessments. Some situations
may add steps or modify some of these to provide the best testing milieu
possible.
Test Scoring: Scoring is a critical step that transforms the
students test response into comparative data. Accurate measurement necessitates
adequate procedures for scoring the responses of test takers. Scoring
procedures should be audited as necessary to ensure consistency and accuracy of
application. These procedures include careful implementations or monitoring the
standard of scoring procedures, human judgment, use of rubrics that clearly
specify the criteria for scoring, monitoring constant consistency and providing
a method for checking the accuracy of scores when accuracy is challenged by
test takers (M.E. 1999).
Communicating test
results: Before
communication of test results takes place, a solid foundation and preparation
is necessary. That foundation includes knowledge of test interpretation and an
understanding of the particular test being used, as provided by the test
manual. Conveying test results with language that the test taker, parents,
teachers, clients, or general public can understand is one of the key elements
in helping others understand the meaning of the test results. When reporting
group results, the information needs to be supplemented with background
information that can help explain the results with cautions about
misinterpretations. The test user should indicate how the test results can be
and should not be interpreted (NCREL, 2003).
A standardized test also
known as a norm-referenced test is a type of a formal test that has a
structured procedure with specific guide lines for administration, scoring and
interpretation of the results. The results of the tests are used to as a
measure to determine eligibility of special education and identification of
strengths and weaknesses in school learning. The results also help
professionals to plan instructions by identifying curriculum areas in which
students fail to perform as well as their peers. Proper test use resides with
the test user (ACA, 1997) the counselor and educator. Qualified test users
understand the measurement characteristics necessary to select good
standardized tests, administer the tests according to specified procedures,
assure accurate scoring, accurately interpret test scores for individuals and
groups, and ensure productive applications of the results. This document
provides guidelines for using tests responsibly with students and clients.
Association
for Assessment in Counseling (AAC) (2003). Responsibilities of Users of
Standardized Tests.
Prepared by the Association for Assessment
in Counseling (AAC).
American Counseling
Association (APA)(1997). Code of
ethics and standards of practice. Alexandria, VA:
Goodwin,
W. L., & Driscoll, L. A. (1980). Handbook for measurement and evaluation
in early childhood education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hills,
T. W. (1992). Reaching
potentials through appropriate assessment. In
S. Bredekamp & T. Rosegrant (Eds.), Reaching potentials:
Appropriate curriculum and assessment for young children (Vol.
1, pp. 43-63). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education
of Young Children.
Joint Committee on
Testing Practices ( 2002). Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education.
Langhorst, B. H.
(1989). Assessment in early childhood education: A consumer's guide. Portland, OR:
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Measurement in
Education (1999).Standards for educational and psychological testing.Washington, DC:
American Educational Research Association.
Suggested Citation in
APA
Wanjohi,A.M.(2010). Standardized Test. KENPRO Publications.Available online
at http://www.kenpro.org/papers/standardized-test.htm
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