Teacher Tess in Testing Land

By Nel Noddings

The latest test-fiddling in New York has created a situation in which teachers and students are likely to be demoralized. Last year, 82 percent of New York City students passed their math exams; this year, only about 54 percent passed. In some schools, the drop in passing scores was dramatic—more than 20 percent—and in at least one school, the drop in math proficiency was 63 percent. Such wild fluctuation in passing scores makes school people look ridiculous. Why should the public accept any numbers we give them when next year’s numbers are likely to be entirely different?

Lewis Carroll would have a ball with this. If he were living now, he might write Teacher Tess in Testing Land , the story of a place called school in which nothing is as it seems. Teacher Tess has been working hard for several years to help her students pass the 4th grade math test. Last year, 75 percent of her students passed the test—way up from four years ago. This year, with the same scores, only 40 percent passed. What happened? Tess asks.

Well, Tess, here’s what you must understand. Your students didn’t really pass the test last year. The standard for passing was way too low. You’ll have to do a lot better. We’ve noticed that, even though your kids are doing well on the state tests, they are not doing much better on the big national test. They are doing well on the state test because you are...