Testing the Test
ISBN: 9780984585205
Learn how to recognize and fix 10 common flaws in math tests, including:• When students get the right answer for the wrong reason.
• When the choices in multiple-choice questions give away the answer.
• When using a calculator leads to the wrong answer.
• (Click here for a list of the 10 common flaws described in the book.)
With today's emphasis on using test scores for teacher, student, and school accountability, we need to make sure that tests are valid—that is, that they measure what they were designed to measure. Only then do test scores accurately reflect what students know—and don't know—about the material being tested. We need information provided by valid tests to guide instruction and, thereby, improve the quality of math education. This book is all about making sure math tests are valid.
Why Is There a Problem?
The reality is that most teachers, states, and national test developers believe that their math tests are valid. However, they often are not valid. A quick review of state and national standardized tests posted on the Web uncovers numerous flawed math questions. This is a serious problem that needs action. That's why this book is important right now — it shows how to identify and fix flaws in math tests, so that future math tests are valid.
"Testing has become so important in the lives of students that we owe it to them to make sure tests are valid. Dr. Kastner's book will help make that happen! We in education rarely focus on telltale pitfalls in tests. Congratulations to Marcia Kastner for bringing them out in the open so that all of us will be more careful in test development."
—Dr. David Driscoll, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education
"Dr. Kastner has written a book of vital importance! Testing is an integral part of today's educational practice, and it is perturbing that flaws can—and do!—slip into our standardized tests (as well as into our regular classroom tests and school-wide examinations). Marcia Kastner shows us the way to avoid these flaws. This guide is eye-opening, enlightening, and immensely practical."
—Dr. James Tanton, Mathematics educator and author
