High Stakes: Testing Irregularity

With the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, a stronger emphasis has been placed on state testing and accountability at the state and local levels. The news media continues to report testing irregularities as professional and community pressures are levied on educators to increase test scores. Test scores have been tied to community affluence, real estate values, encouraging job growth, and state and federal monies. The purpose of this case study is to foster discussion concerning testing regulations and procedures. A beginning second year teacher trying to make extra money opts to teach summer school. The state mandated standardized End-of-Grade test was administered for the third time at the end of the summer school session for all students in attendance. The young teacher finds a used red test book after the testing sessions are over and keeps it. In the subsequent school year, he tutors students with the test booklet he found at the summer school site and uses the questions as warm-ups for the entire class. It is not his intention to circumvent testing procedures and policies.