Abstract:
In 2008 testing became high stakes in Australia and since that time we have witnessed the rise of a major industry with the emergence of readily available practice tests for purchase, increased provision of online resources and burgeoning tutoring services focused on National Assessment Program – Literacy And Numeracy (NAPLAN) style tests. This paper critically examines the emergent issues for students, schools, parents and systems and calls for a balance between formative and summative assessment and greater professional and system level understanding of the validity of the primary and secondary uses of assessment data. Evidence is drawn from two recent studies of how assessment data is used by schools and systems for the purposes of accountability and improvement. One of these studies is an Australian Research Council Linkage project entitled “Ethical Leadership: A collaborative investigation of equity-driven evidence-based school reform” and the other draws on the largest collection and analysis of empirical data on multiple facets of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education in state schools. From the research findings of these studies it would appear that the misuses of assessment derive from interpretations of the results that cannot be justified because there is too much inference, the interpretation is based on results that are not reliable or the readings are far too simplistic. Other key issues that emerge relate to the current evaluation system and whether the major assessment instruments actually assess what constituent communities, governments and the public deem to be of value. With the requirement for greater effectiveness, equity and quality in education to meet economic, social and political demands major tensions and pressures have emerged. These will be critically examined. Where there has been some success, in the use of assessment data and assessment methods that address some of these demands, these are articulated and presented as a way forward in this particular high stakes context.