The Ambiguity of Teaching to the Test: Standards, Assessment, and Educational Reform

Although most experts agree that mandatory testing leads to teaching to the test, they disagree about whether it leads to meaningless drill, wasted time, de-professionalizing teachers, and demotivating students, or to more challenging and thoughtful curr

William Firestone is professor of educational policy at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. He is currently chairing the Task Force to develop an agenda for research on educational leadership for Division A (Administration) of the American Educational Research Association and Principle Investigator of the New Jersey Math Science Partnership. He has written extensively on educational reform, policy implementation, school culture, and leadership for change. His research has appeared in the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Educational Administration Quarterly, and Phi Delta Kappan.
Lora Monfils is a Research Scientist in the K-12 Assessments division of the Educational Testing Service, which she joined in 2002. She is involved in planning and implementing psychometric analyses and other measurement services for state testing programs. Prior to joining ETS, she worked as a senior research analyst at the Rutgers University Center for Educational Policy Analysis and a high school mathematics teacher. Her research interests include statistical modeling, diagnostic score reporting, and the impact of large scale assessment on teaching practice and educational equity.