Misapplication of Test Results

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This article discusses the inappropriate use of standardized tests to prevent school entry or the placement of children in transitional classrooms in early childhood programs.  Although there have been challenges to this practice and many states have dropped such policies, there is still evidence that it continues to be a problem (National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education, 2000). It is appropriate at this point to further explain the concerns about the use of standardized tests for this purpose.

Early childhood specialists in the 1980s expressed concern about the use of individual intelligence tests, developmental screening measures, and school readiness tests for making decisions about school entry. They pointed out that developmental tests and IQ tests do not differentiate between limited intelligence and limited opportunities to learn. Like readiness tests, IQ tests and developmental tests should not be used to determine school entry (Shepard & Graue, 1993).

The use of developmental screening tests was recommended to predict quickly whether a child could profit from special education placement if such tests have predictive validity, developmental content, and normative standardization (Meisels, 1987; Meisels, Steele, & Quinn-Leering, 1993). Nevertheless, Meisels stated that developmental screening tests should be used to identify children who need further evaluation. Decisions on such issues as enrollment, retention, and placement in special classes should never be based on a single test score. Other sources of information, including systematic observation and samples of children’s work, should be part of the evaluation process (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1988).

Another concern about misapplication of standardized test results surfaced in 2003. President Bush announced that in the fall of 2003, all Head Start students would be given a national standardized skills assessment test (McMaken, 2003). An immediate issue was whether preschool children should be given a standardized test and whether the test, the National Reporting System, had the desired reliability and validity (Raver & Zigler, 2004). Other issues related to the limitations of the test to measure only cognitive skills and omit measurement of children’s competence, emotional development, and cultural diversity (Schumacher, Greenberg, & Mezey, 2003). It was proposed that a narrow test of skills and literacy and math should not be used to measure the overall quality of the Head Start program (Meisels & Atkins-Burnett, 2004).

A new direction is being taken to overcome the limitations of standardized tests for identifying and diagnosing children with disabilities. Play-based assessment, which uses observation of children’s play as the major assessment strategy, is becoming more common as educators of children with disabilities seek more natural approaches to assessment (Segal & Webber, 1996). Play-based assessment is used in addition to the administration of standardized tests and other developmental assessments.

The No Child Left Behind Act also affects assessment of children with disabilities. The issue of how to include children with disabilities in state assessments of achievement in a manner that is fair and appropriate is difficult to resolve (Education Week on the Web, 2004). Again, the limitations of standardized tests to identify and address disabilities can also affect their performance on state achievement tests.