Put to the Test: An Educator's and Consumer's Guide to Standardized Testing (Revised Edition)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0873675320 ISBN 13: 9780873675321

Publisher: Phi Delta Kappa Intl Inc, 2002

Informed educators and consumers need to be comfortable with tests and the terminology surrounding tests, especially in today's "high stakes" climate. In the revised 2002 edition of Put to the Test, nationally recognized author Gerald W. Bracey leads readers through the often confusing landscape of standardized testing, and informs on what tests are and aren't. Bracey covers, in easy-to-understand language, how to interpret test scores, different types of standardized tests, and specific standardized tests.

This revised 2002 edition includes: an analysis of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), an analysis of Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, an examination of the impact of high-stakes testing, and an annoted list of resources for further reading.

If you don't know the difference between a percentile rank and a normal-curve equivalent--two common ways of reporting test scores--you're at a disadvantage. The newly updated Put to the Test is an invaluable tool for any educator, parent, student, or citizen interested in and concerned about standardized testing.

About the Author:

Gerald W. Bracey is a well-known independent researcher, writer, and policy analyst. He has been a professor and university administrator, the director of testing at state and local levels, and a research psychologist. Bracey's ceaseless quest for the truth in research began in 1991 with "Why Can't They Be Like We Were?", an article that challenged the conventional wisdom that America's schools were in crisis.

Recent publications include Bail Me Out! Handling Difficult Data and Tough Questions About Public Schools and The War Against America's Public Schools: Privatizing Education, Commercializing Schools.