Teaching to the test explained

"Teaching to the test" refers to an educational strategy where curriculum and instruction are heavily focused on preparing students for standardized tests. This approach aligns teaching content and methods directly with the test format and subject matter, aiming to improve student performance on these assessments.

Criticism and debate

Critics of teaching to the test argue that it narrows the curriculum, emphasizing only those skills and knowledge required for standardized tests. This may limit opportunities for students to develop a holistic understanding of subjects, often reducing learning to rote memorization and repetition of isolated skills, a practice sometimes termed "drill and kill." Such strategies are said to restrict creative, critical, and abstract thinking and could diminish teachers' ability to engage students with a broader and more meaningful curriculum.^[1] Some research also suggests that these methods may not effectively improve test scores as intended.^[2]

Teaching to the test is also associated with Campbell's law, which suggests that when undue importance is placed on a particular performance indicator (such as test scores), it can lead to distortion of the educational process it is supposed to measure.^[3]

Teaching methods

Common methods of teaching to the test include:

• Test-focused instruction: Specific test-related content is taught, followed by assessments that mirror the standardized test format. This typically involves testing factual recall or step-by-step procedures rather than fostering deeper understanding.^[4]
• Skill-based learning: In areas like typing, athletics, or other practical skills, teaching to the test is the primary approach, emphasizing practice and repetition to achieve proficiency.^[5]

However, teaching to the test can sometimes misrepresent students' actual learning. For example, students who memorize vocabulary for a reading test may perform well on that specific assessment but struggle to apply the vocabulary in broader contexts. In mathematics, students familiar with test-like questions might fail to apply the same concepts to differently phrased problems. Research by Craig Jerald showed that drilling on specific test items may lead to improved performance on those items but may not translate to broader skill mastery.^[6]

Impact on educational practice

The implementation of the No Child Left Behind act in the United States increased the focus on standardized testing, leading to widespread adoption of teaching to the test. This is particularly prominent in schools that depend on government funding, where test scores are a critical measure of success.^[7]

Some critics assert that a focus on test preparation undermines comprehensive education, as time is diverted from exploring moral, aesthetic, or creative aspects of learning.^[8] Concerns have been raised that standardized testing is not a fair measure of all students' abilities, as test-taking skills, test anxiety, or language barriers can influence performance.

Validity of standardized testing

The practice of teaching to the test may reduce the validity of standardized test results, as scores can be inflated due to overemphasis on test-related content rather than overall subject mastery. Gabe Pressman, a journalist for WNBC-TV, noted that political pressures could lead to adjusting test benchmarks to achieve desired outcomes, potentially distorting true student achievement levels.^[9] Additionally, W. James Popham, an emeritus professor of education, argued that standardized tests might not accommodate students from different backgrounds, particularly new immigrants with varied educational experiences.^[10]

Ethical perspectives

A 1989 study on the ethical implications of teaching to the test identified a range of practices, from broad-based instruction on general objectives to direct use of test items in teaching. The study concluded that ethical boundaries lie between general instruction and the use of specific test formats or questions, suggesting that practices such as teaching directly from released test items are less ethical.^[11]

Examples of teaching to the test

• Test preparation courses: Specialized programs focused on improving performance on standardized tests, often involving intensive practice on test-like questions.
• Cram schools: Institutions designed to prepare students for specific examinations through concentrated study and test-taking practice.

See also

• Campbell's Law
• Education in the United States
• Washback effect, the general phenomenon which gives rise to teaching to the test
• Overfitting, a similar problem in statistics and optimization problems
• Volvo effect

Further reading

• Menken. Kate. Teaching to the Test: How No Child Left Behind Impacts Language Policy, Curriculum, and Instruction for English Language Learners. . Summer 2006. 30. 2. 521–546. 10.1080/15235882.2006.10162888. 144641891. 18 September 2010.
• Phelps. Richard P.. Teach to the Test?. . Autumn 2011. 35. 4. 38–42. 2 January 2012.
• Phelps. Richard P.. Teaching to the test: A very large red herring. . May 2016. 12. 1. 1–17.

Popham, W.J. (2001). Teaching to the test. Educational Leadership, 58 (6), 16-20.

Notes and References

1. Book: Kozol, Jonathan . The shame of the nation: the restoration of apartheid schooling in America . 2005 . Crown . 978-1-4000-5244-8 . New York.
2. Learning about Teaching: Initial Findings from the Measuring Effective Teaching Program . December 2010 . The Los Angeles Times . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20101216164750/http://documents.latimes.com/measures-of-effective-teaching/ . 16 December 2010.
   • News: Jason Felch . December 11, 2010 . Study backs 'value-added' analysis of teacher effectiveness . The Los Angeles Times.
3. Book: A Quandary for School Leaders: Equity, High-stakes Testing and Accountability. http://ows.edb.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/users/jvh/Vasquez%20Heilig%20%26%20Nichols%202.28.2011.doc. Vasquez Heilig. Julian. Nichols. Sharon L.. Tillman. Linda C.. Scheurich. James Joseph. The Handbook of Research on Educational Leadership for Equity and Diversity. 2013. Routledge. 9781135128432. 422. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180121225918/https://books.google.com/books?id=vSKAAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA422. 21 January 2018.
4. Book: Kohn, Alfie. The Case Against Standardized Testing. Heinemann. 2000. 0-325-00325-4. 8.
5. Web site: Bond. Lloyd. Teaching to the Test. Carnegie Perspectives (via the University of Victoria). 18 September 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20101118050604/http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/skelton/Teaching/TEACHING%20TO%20THE%20TEST.htm. 18 November 2010.
6. Web site: Jerald. Craig. Teach to the Test? Just Say No. Reading Rockets. 9 March 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150316120014/http://www.readingrockets.org/article/teach-test-just-say-no. 16 March 2015.
7. Volante . Louis . September 2004 . Teaching to the Test: What Every Educator and Policy-Maker Should Know . live . . 35 . 18 September 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100324153934/http://www.umanitoba.ca/publications/cjeap/articles/volante.html . 24 March 2010.
8. News: Kahlenber. Richard. The Problem for Low-Income Students. The New York Times. 21 April 2012. 3 August 2009. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120418222415/http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/what-do-school-tests-measure/. 18 April 2012.
9. Web site: Pressman. Gabe. Teaching to the Test and Charter Schools Won't Help Kids: Expert. NBC New York. 21 April 2012. 31 March 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195401/http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/The-Uproar-Over-Education---And-a-Warning-of-Corruption-Ahead-89628257.html. 3 March 2016.
10. Web site: Popham. James. Why Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational Quality. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 21 April 2012. March 1999.
11. Mehrens . W.A. . Kaminski, J . 1989 . Methods for Improving Standardized Test Scores: Fruitful, Fruitless or Fraudulent? . . 8 . 1 . 14–22 . 10.1111/j.1745-3992.1989.tb00304.x.