Earlier this afternoon I watched a webcast of a panel discussion at the Fordham Foundation, titled “Is it Time to Turn the Page on Federal Accountability in Education?” (Event information is here; a video will be posted at some point on the Education Gadfly YouTubechannel). The event featured some interesting conversation and commentary, but I was struck by the one audience question that came from a high school student, a rising senior from Michigan. He asked the panelists what it would take to make our country less reliant on high-stakes standardized tests, and instead place greater emphasis on critical thinking and creativity. Among the panelists there were some responses about the next generation of assessments that will supposedly do a better job of assessing critical thinking. There were comments about the extent to which AP tests and college applications drive that emphasis on tests for college-bound high school students.
I didn’t really hear an answer to the young man’s question. Stop for a moment and consider what he has probably been through this past year. (I’m basing this review on what juniors go through at my high school, which may differ slightly, but probably not greatly). In the fall, juniors often take the PSAT test, which doesn’t necessarily carry high-stakes for all students, but it does determine National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. Then, as the school year goes on, students face all the usual testing and final exams in their academic
