By Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at The Becoming Radical. January 25, 2014
When I responded to Students Should Be Tested More, Not Less by Jessica Lahey and the related target=new href=http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic951136.files/powerOfTestingMemory-roedigerKarpicke.pdf>study by Henry L. Roediger III and Jeffrey D. Karpicke, in the blog post Students Should Be Tested Less, Then Not at All, resulting comments and Tweets suggest that the topic of moving toward fewer and even no tests needs further discussion and clarification.
One aspect of debating the role of tests in education revolves around the term “test.” For the general public, Lahey’s headline, I am certain, triggers a relatively basic view of tests—students answering questions created by a teacher or a standardized testing company. For the general public, distinguishing between teacher-made tests and high-stakes standardized tests or between summative and formative assessments will likely not change that basic perception.
And thus, Lahey’s headline is certain to cause more problems than good in the public debate about accountability, education reform, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement.
Many have noted the headline problem, but quickly argue that Lahey’s article, and Roediger and Karpicke’s research make a valuable case for formative assessment, adding that the study also raises concerns about