-How can test score pollution occur if the scores are systematically changed by factors that aren't being measured by the test? I don't understand how factors not measured by the test can affect the outcomes of the scores.
-There are many tensions that may arise through the use of standardized testing. The most common of these is innapropriate pressure to perform sent down the school corporation hierarchy. Government officials want better test scores so that they can have a reason to keep funding school corporations with tax dollars. This leads to pressure on administrators that passes to teachers that then passes on to the students. Some tensions that may arise from this trickling effect is the tension caused by pressure to perform rather than learn. Students are being taught to pass a test instead of being taught to learn new material.
-High stakes test are measuring more of a teacher's ability to get students to memorize certain information that they know will be on a test. It does not truly test intelligence because it is not presenting students with things to learn. As mentioned in the previous point, it is encouraging teachers to teach to the test rather than for the sake of improving students' intelligence.
-If a student fails a standardized test, it could be for a number of reasons. It is impossible to pinpoint a single reason why a student was unable to pass a test. The test might not be an accurate measure of the material that was supposed to be learned or there could be a variety of other factors affecting the score of the student. These could range from lack of work ethic to a hard home life to not having the resources to study properly. It is impossible to truly tell whether it is the fault of the student or the test or even the teacher if a student fails a test.
I think test score pollution can occur when a teacher could be teaching based off of past tests, so students get only an education based on what the test has. Even though the exam from last year may not be the same as this year, the main concepts are generally extremely similar. It is the same content but asked differently. Test pollution can also be from teachers giving out answers or allowing extra time, giving students a chance to focus more on each question. Basically anything that gives the students an extra advantage on the test by knowing inside information, whether just format or actual answers, is consider pollution since maybe not all students nation-wide would be offered these extra "features."
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