The Testing Trap: How State Writing Assessments Control Learning (Language and Literacy Series)

Do statewide assessments really do what they are supposed to do? Through interviews with over 300 teachers and administrators, Hillocks examines whether state writing tests in Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, New York, and Texas actually improve students’ ability to express their thinking in writing. Ultimately, Hillocks argues that the majority of existing tests actually have a harmful effect on the way students are taught to write.

In addition to providing analyses of assessments that do not encourage good writing, The Testing Trap contrasts them with those that do. Concluding with practical procedures for examining and evaluating writing assessments, this book is a provocative and essential read for administrators, teachers, policymakers, parents, and all who care about the education of our children.

George Hillocks, Jr. is Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. He was awarded the David H. Russell Award from the National Council of Teachers of English for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English for his book Teaching Writing as Reflective Practice.