RAPACIOUS TESTING VENDORS HAVE NO PLACE ASSESSING POTENTIAL TEACHERS
Teaching talent can be better assessed in classroom settings rather than via ethically suspect outside businesses.
A vendor is “a person who sells things, especially on the street or a business that sells a particular type of product," according to the dictionary definition. A vendor is a noble professional. I would go to a vendor to purchase a hat. I would not go to a vendor to purchase a test. Yet, that is exactly what occurs when an institute or an organization buys an assessment program.
In and of itself, purchasing a testing or assessment program is not destructive. Involving an outside source to get an objective look at achievement can be useful. The detrimental effect of hiring an outside agency comes when it is done large-scale, involving huge amounts of cash, as was the case in Texas. "The London-based Pearson Education company has held a $468 million, five-year contract for state exams through 2015. Lawmakers, the former Senate Education Committee chairman, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had gone into battle with the company in 2013 while criticizing its excessive influence on education policy. Overall, leaders called for more intensive scrutiny of any future testing contracts. It was decided by the state auditor that the state education agency had not overseen the contract with Pearson in an adequate manner.
American children deserve the most knowledgeable teachers standing in front of the classroom. No one would dispute this expectation. However, there is major disagreement on how to identify the most talented teachers. Certainly, a rigorous interview process that includes the candidate actually teaching can assist school districts in hiring potential teachers. Certainly, quality teacher training programs that include a full year of student teaching, not the standard one semester, can develop future teachers’ content knowledge and teaching skills. However, many states and professional licensing organizations also mandate Praxis tests as part of the certification process. Why is this mandate suspect?
Remember the definition of vendor? The Educational Testing Service (ETS), creators of the Praxis tests, continually refer to themselves as “vendor” in Guidelines for Producing RFIs and RFPs Related to Teacher Licensure Assessment Program. As a vendor, ETS is a business selling a product. The bottom line to any business is profit. Even though ETS defines itself as “nonprofit,” ETS recently announced an increase in certification application fees.
- Program Specialist: From $125 to $200
- Resource Specialist: From $125 to $200
- Instructional Add-On: From $125 to $200
- Level II: From $125 to $200
To prepare for the Praxis exams, ETS conveniently has an online store selling Rapacious Testing Vendors Have No Place Assessing Potential Teachers: