Wednesday, January 9, 2013

If He’s So Important, Why Haven’t We Heard of Him? « The Core Knowledge Blog

If He’s So Important, Why Haven’t We Heard of Him? « The Core Knowledge Blog:


If He’s So Important, Why Haven’t We Heard of Him?

by E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
January 9th, 2013
In Praise of Samuel Messick 1931–1998
Everyone who is anyone in the field of testing actually has heard of Samuel Messick.  The American Psychological Association has instituted a prestigious annual scientific awardin his name, honouring his important work in the theory of test validity.   I want to devote this, my first-ever blog post, to one of his seminal insights about testing.   It’s arguable that his insight is critical for the future effectiveness of American education.
My logic goes this way:   Every knowledgeable teacher and policy maker knows that tests, not standards, have the greater influence on what principals and teachers do in the