Abstract:
As the so-called “high stakes” tests have proliferated, students’ performance on state
developed and other forms of assessment has become a major concern of school officials.
Because the results of these tests often have serious financial and political implications,
schools may devote many hours to “test preparation,” hoping that this will increase
students’ scores. Yet, policy makers and parents have expressed concern over this practice,
suggesting that it can result in invalid measures of student achievement, divert attention
from crucial subject matter, and provide less than optimal models for students. Clearly,
school officials face a dilemma. They are under intense political and financial pressure to
have high test scores. Yet, they also wish to promote their students’ future academic
success and provide appropriate behavioral models.