I really, really don't want to this post, but based on the title you know I have to say something. So let's start by reading the title-- "tests forced on kids." Really- no kidding. Guess what--tests are forced on so many of us at so many levels-- let me start to make a list- AP, SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT and that is just the beginning- how about the PE, USMLE, bar examinations. CPA tests, medical licensing exams (if you don't what all those letters stand for, feel free to ask).

So in this country we use tests to decide if people are competent. If you don't like it--ok fine-- which tests do you want us to stop giving? The ones that check to see if engineers really know now to build a bridge? The ones that see if our doctors know where our hearts are? The ones that check to see what lawyers, plumbers, electricians even financial ad visors know? Or perhaps the only tests we want to stop giving are those that make us have to admit that we are doing a really bad job educating so many of our poor and minority kids.

As a measurement expert (which well yes I kinda am), when I look at a test, the first thing I want to know is does it measure what is being taught- which is presumably that which we want kids to know (aka content validity). If it does then I don't care how well an old dude with a nice house scores on it. If this is what we think kids need to know then we need to check to see if they know it. And if they don't know it- then darn it we need to make sure that they do learn it. If the test doesn't measure what we think kids need to know, well then we need to change the test..

And you know I'm just going to leave it there because I just saw that author used ideology, politics, hubris, greed, ignorance and the conventional wisdom, all in the same sentence. It's time to stop reading.