Chapter 14 Standardized Testing

Front 1

what is the colourblind approach?

Back 1

• the tendency of white people to ignore talking about race.
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Front 2

why are white people less likely to discuss race than people of racial minorities?

Back 2

• worried that talking about race will sensitize their children
• worry focusing on these differences will lead to prejudice
• children may have a white bias as a result; not because they are racist but because they have never discussed other races.

Front 3

how is this approach used in schools?

Back 3

• teachers and students encouraged to ignore race
• white people view race as irrelevant
• black people more likely to see the value of racial diversity.

Front 4

how are racial biases depicted in school textbooks?

Back 4

• textbooks focus on white people's accomplishments
  
• Latino's mentioned less than 1 percent in a study of political science textbooks
• black history is not depicted in textbooks before slavery, and this is only depicted from a white perspective.

Front 5

What affect does gender depiction in textbooks have on performance?

Back 5

• female students given textbooks under-representing women have trouble understanding concepts
• may have test anxiety
• may result in reduced performance on tests

Front 6

what are the effects of ignoring race?

Back 6

• ignoring race often leads to ignoring racism
• people may not recognize racism when it is happening
  
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Front 7

what social impacts does ignorance have in schools?

Back 7

• races become segregated in classrooms and schools
• children form groups based on their culture and race
• minorities may be excluded from social groups for unclear reasons such as 'I don't know' or 'we have a club'

Front 8

what effect did reading literature about other races have on students?

Back 8

• white students initially felt uncomfortable
• all students became more racially integrated

Front 9

What is the issue with comparing different classes grades to each other?

Back 9

• teachers may have used a different form of testing
• difficulty of the assessments may have been different
• don't know the topic of the tests

Front 10

what is a standardized test?

Back 10

• testing in which the same parameters are used: time, topic, and instructions

Front 11

why are standardized tests used?

Back 11

provide information on:

• planning and enhancing instructions
• student progress
• diagnosing students' strength and weaknesses
• evaluate effectiveness of programs
• evaluating placement of students in specific programs

Front 12

what are the three types of standardized tests?

give a brief definition

Back 12

• school readiness tests - ensure children are ready to begin school
• aptitude tests - asses future potential and used for admission purposes
• achievement tests - asses current and acquired knowledge

Front 13

name some issues or negative impacts of standardized testing

Back 13

• teachers being held accountable for students learning
• puts pressure on both teachers and students
• reduces intrinsic motivation
• students may give up if they believe they can't pass a graduation test
• may drop out of school if they are convinced they will fail anyway

Front 14

what is theProgramme forInternational Student Assessment?

Back 14

• standardized test for 15 year olds' skills in over 60 countries
• tests math, science and reading skills

Front 15

what are the limitations of international assessments?

Back 15

• different cultures emphasize different skill sets
• language differences may challenge fairness of test - languages have varying levels of complexity
• SES may also effect academics - this gap is lower in Canada than the US

Front 16

how do gender and race impact test results?

Back 16

• On SAT scores men have a higher average score than women, and there is a large gap between white people and other minority groups such as Latino and Black

Front 17

Explain Gender Role Beliefs Study

Back 17

• male and female students filled out questionnaire on gender characteristics - assigned as masculine or feminine
• everyone given the same task to perform
• told either performance reflected spatial or empathetic ability depending on gender role

Front 18

what were the results of the Gender Role Beliefs study?

Back 18

• feminine women performed better when told it was an empathy test
  
• masculine women performed better when told it was a spatial ability test
  
• men were unaffected by the instructions
  
• knowing whats being tested may have negative impact on feminine women in the real world.

Front 19

what is the stereotype threat?

Back 19

• negative stereotypes associated with social groups give people low expectations of them which adds pressure on them
• individuals of group works harder to disprove stereotypes which can be distracting

Front 20

name some effects of stereotype threat

Back 20

• results in performance deficits and potential psychological disengagement
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Front 21

explain the verbal test score study with respect to stereotype threat

Back 21

• black and white students put into two groups, one told they were doing a diagnostic test, the other half told it was non-diagnostic
• in the diagnostic test setting black students did much worse than white
• when it was a non-diagnostic test they scored much better without the pressure
• anxiety could explain about 1/3 of the difference in test scores
• tend to hold back because they are worried about proving the stereotype
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Front 22

what is the latent performance hypothesis?

Back 22

• performance on tests underestimates the person's actual performance
• stereotype threat underestimates the stereotyped students' performance on standardized tests.

Front 23

list and describe the categories of standardized achievement tests

Back 23

• survey battery: A group of individual subject-matter tests designed for students at a particular level such as math, science, reading/writing
  
• diagnostic tests: Achievement tests that measure select skills in a specific subject area with the purpose of diagnosing an individual’s relative strengths and needs
  
• tests for specific subjects: more specific and extensive than survey batteries. may include things like chemistry or computer science.