by Lance T. Izumi, Fellow in California Studies
Pacific Research Institute
August 21, 2001

Announcer lead: Time for Perspectives. Lance Izumi cautions against reading too much into rising test scores.

Let’s get this straight right off the bat. I think that it’s very important to test students to see if they’re learning in the classroom and meeting the standards of knowledge enacted by our state policymakers. The question, however, is whether California’s standardized test, the Stanford-9 exam, actually accomplishes those goals. Because of key problems with the test, it’s unclear just how much progress kids are making in their learning and what it is they are learning.

When the state released the 2001 Stanford-9 test scores last week, the headline on the California Department of Education press release trumpeted gains in achievement on the exam. For example, second-grade math scores rose by 15 percent. Such numbers sound impressive, and, no doubt, some test-score increases can be explained by greater learning in the classroom. Some of the increases, however, may have more to do with the way the test is designed.

According to a state analysis, the Stanford-9 uses the same questions from year to year. The problem, say testing experts, is that when a test uses the same questions every year, scores rise simply because students and teachers become more familiar with the test format and questions. Score increases, thus, may only signify test preparation, not true learning.

Indeed, preparing for the Stanford-9 is made easier due to the availability of previous year copies of the test, a real help since questions don’t change. It’s no surprise, then, that state analysts warn about opportunities to cheat on the Stanford-9.

Even more problematic, the Stanford-9 is not aligned to California’s rigorous subject-matter standards. Thus, high scores on the Stanford-9 do not necessarily mean that students have learned the knowledge and skills required by the standards. California has developed and is experimenting with a separate standards-aligned test. It is noteworthy that on the standards-aligned English test, only 30 percent of students reached the state-targeted proficient level.

In sum, having the right test is crucial for both the education and accountability process. Without it, the public may not be getting a true picture of what’s going on in our classrooms.

With a perspective, I’m Lance Izumi.

Lance Izumi is the Director of Center for School Reform at the California-based Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy. He can be reached via email at lizumi@pacificresearch.org.