"The question that dismays all teachers and ought to concern everyparent because of what it reveals about what school can do to achild's curiosity -- ?Will this be on the test?' -- will never beanswered again in the same way. Bob Rothman offers a rich andcompelling account of the unfolding revolution in testing inAmerica's schools." -- Richard P. Mills, Vermont commissioner of education An award-winning journalist, Rothman cuts through the assessmentdebate -- a debate often characterized by misrepresentations andjargon -- to offer a highly accessible examination of the shift inthinking about testing. He underscores that any change must beginwith the And: what we want students to know and be able to do. Suchchanges demand a new way of knowing what students can achieve--anda system that enables them to achieve.
This text explains the upheaval in thinking about educational testing which may reform American education. An examination of the shift in thinking about testing, through illustrative case examples of assessment programs in schools in Colorado, California, Vermont and Kentucky, is documented.
