State Mandated Testing and Educational Reform: Context and Consequences

In response to 20 years of educational growth, shifts in the locus of school control, and politicization of educational decision making, new forms and uses of standardized testing have arisen. In particular, policy-oriented tests that are mandated and controlled by agencies external to the local school have become widely used to certify student and teacher competence. It is the use of such certification tests that is at the root of most current debate and controversy regarding educational testing. This article describes the social trends that have spawned the new testing programs. It considers the characteristics and the educational consequences of the new state-mandated tests. A set of propositions to guide understanding of testing debate and controversy is provided.