Standarized Testing

RUNNING HEAD : HIGH STAKES TESTING

Review of the journal article The Effects of High Stakes Testing in an Inner-City Elementary School : The Curriculum , the Teachers , and the English Language Learners

Your Name Here

Name of your university , City of location

Abstract

This article review looks at a study of the effects of high stakes testing . It seeks to identify the main points of the article - the reasons the author gives for its significance , the research questions the methods of investigations and the main purposes of the literature review . Because

several non-native speakers of English had been doing badly on the SAT-9 , the author devised five research questions to ascertain the level emphasis placed on the test as well as its validity The literature review sought to give readers an idea of the progress research has made in this area , and the methods of investigation were mainly interviews and observation

Introduction

The article being reviewed is entitled The Effects of High Stakes Testing in an Inner-City Elementary School : The Curriculum , the Teachers , and the English Language Learners ' The researcher and writer responsible for the study is Wayne E . Wright , a graduate research assistant and doctoral student of Arizona State University . The article looks at the effects of standardized testing on several of the key components of education : teachers , learners , and the curriculum . It also gives a view of the effects of these standardized tests on those students who might be considered as having a disability as regards competency with the English language

Review of the Literature

The researcher finds this significant because , traditionally English Language learners (ELL ) have not done very well on standardized tests , and that population has become at risk because such tests as the SAT-9 determine a great deal about the academic and financial futures of students . The author communicates the need to do research in this area by noting that these ELL 's are preponderantly from low socio-economic backgrounds , and the trend of receiving low standardized test scores seems to destine them to remain economically disadvantaged

There are five research questions associated with this particular research

How much of an emphasis is there on the SAT-9

Do teachers believe the SAT-9 is a fair and valid measure of teaching and student learning

How has the SAT-9 affected the curriculum taught to students , especially ELL students

How has the SAT-9 affected the teachers and students

Has the SAT-9 improved teaching and learning at the school

Methodology

Wright 's methodology involved personal visits to Alamitos Elementary School , an institution that has undergone such standardized testing . His main research instruments were interviews and observation . He conducted interviews with five teachers and observed them in their interactions with the students , at staff meetings , and during various discussions about the effects on and changes within the school as a direct result of the SAT-9

Results

The author , Wright , cites 45 research articles in the body of his and refers to a few benchmark studies that he used as a guide...