Bad Testing Drives Out Good Learning

By Anthony Cody

In economics there exists something known as = Gresham's=20 Law. This axiom states, "Bad money drives good money out of = circulation." In=20 today's economic parlance, Gresham's Law is often described (as = Wikipedia notes)=20 this way: "Money overvalued by the State will drive money undervalued by = the=20 State out of circulation."

If we substitute "education" for "money," we can apply this = adaptation of=20 Gresham's Law to the situation American public schools now find = themselves in.=20 Our government, through No Child Left Behind, has made standardized test = scores=20 the "coin of the realm"=E2=80=94the legal tender by which teachers and = schools are=20 judged and evaluated. In a recent=20 exchange on the blog "Teaching in the 408," veteran teacher Nancy = Flanagan=20 offered this perspective: "NCLB has put the bright lights on some pretty = awful=20 schools...but stops short of pushing 21st Century learning skills = (synthesis,=20 analysis, creativity, collaboration) in favor of the multiple-guess and = fact=20 regurgitation. NCLB has settled for rote presentation and narrowed = curriculum, a=20 disservice to kids who deserve more and better of = everything=E2=80=94resources,=20 teaching, attention, depth, etc."

Blog author TMAO replied: "There's nothing here that says ONLY teach = basic=20 skills. The law says AT LEAST teach those skills. If we can't handle the = AT=20 LEAST, of what value is the MORE?"

Does this logic hold up? I believe Gresham's Law sheds light on the = question.=20 Standardized tests measure skills in a specific way. If one is under the = gun=E2=80=94facing the loss of funding, or even employment=E2=80=94one = is likely to shift=20 teaching to emphasize the form of learning that most efficiently yields = the=20 greatest gains on these test scores. This explains the burgeoning = industry in=20 test-preparation materials, and a curriculum that looks and behaves more = and=20 more like the tests.

The curriculum that results in deeper learning, as described by Nancy = Flanagan, requires a greater investment of time and resources, and does = not=20 produce a corresponding return in terms of test score results. Good = instruction=20 is being driven out by bad, because the bad is more highly valued.

Gresham's Law also applies to decisions that are made within a school = about=20 who should receive attention and assistance. NCLB's accountability = mechanism=20 rewards schools that devote the most time and attention to students who = are "on=20 the bubble" in meeting basic standards and are therefore most likely to = have a=20 positive or negative effect on a school's Adequate Yearly Progress = results.=20 Recent research has revealed that as many as 3.4 million = higher-achieving=20 students in lower-income families are falling into an "achievement = trap." They=20 meet the basic goals but are not being pushed beyond that level to = excel. Under=20 NCLB, there's no payoff for doing so. These bright students start school = achieving at high levels, but fall behind as they get older and wind up = not=20 fulfilling their potential.

The same might also be said about middle-class students who come to = school=20 far above average in readiness and achievement. They can meet the basic = goals=20 without any special effort by the school. Again, there's no NCLB payoff = in=20 challenging them at the highest levels. It's little wonder many ask as = they get=20 older, "Why do I need school?" Using the Gresham analogy, the mechanisms = of NCLB=20 force schools to overvalue basic goals and undervalue achievement beyond = the=20 basics.

A New Gold Standard

To rescue our schools from this devaluation of our education = currency, we=20 need to redefine that which is highly valued. Flanagan has made a start, = with=20 her list of 21st century skills: synthesis, analysis, creativity, and=20 collaboration. Those defending standardized tests point out that their = tests are=20 efficient and "cover" the basic subjects. But in these times, when = knowledge is=20 expanding geometrically, "coverage" of a subject is an illusion. = Students have=20 to be developed as self-learners with the critical skills necessary to = discern=20 the value of information and build understanding using the skills = Flanagan and=20 others have identified.

Policymakers and the public want proof that teachers are making a = positive=20 difference in student learning. They want accountability. It's a = reasonable=20 expectation. So it becomes incumbent on educators who want society to = value the=20 best teaching and learning to go beyond pointing out the limitations of=20 standardized tests, and offer a new "gold standard" by which student = achievement=20 can be and ought to be measured.

This is not a simple task. To measure student achievement using the=20 parameters suggested by Flanagan, we will need deeper standards, a more = nuanced=20 (and more costly) approach to measuring student progress, and educators = who are=20 capable of doing skillful classroom-based assessments that have wide = credibility=20 and acceptance. The beauty of this approach is that it pushes teachers = to become=20 highly knowledgeable about the daily effects of their = teaching=E2=80=94and therefore=20 expands student learning rather than narrowing it.

Ultimately, the only way we can defeat the low quality education = currency now=20 in circulation is to thoroughly discredit it, and offer something in its = place=20 that everyone can agree has greater value.

A nationally certified middle grades science teacher, Anthony Cody is = now the=20 secondary science content coach for the Oakland, Calif., Unified School=20 District. He is also a leader in Project POSIT, a program that seeks to = improve=20 science instruction for grades 4-8 through partnerships with local = science=20 agencies.

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