udents have mastered curriculum, internalized concepts, and advanced cognitively in terms of problem-solving and other skills.
Different tests measure different aspects of learning. The Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), for example, is designed to measure student programs against the state's standards, which include both cognitive and process standards (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2002). The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is a proficiency test, described by Deubel (2002) as a test measuring more than basic skills mastery and requiring students to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in a constructivist environment. The ACT and SAT are measures of student achievement in specific content areas at certain points in their academic careers (Haladyna, et al, 1998).
In discussing standardized testing and assessment, Salpeter and Foster (2000) commented that standardized tests are not necessarily a good way of measuring the things that educators want to measure. The majority of high stakes tests focus on multiple choice questions, leading many critics to worry that such tests emphasize the trivial and are inadequate as a measure of students' abilities to think and learn. Many tests are seen as focusing on higher order thinking skills, but it may be difficult or perhaps even impossible to effectively measure critical thinking skills or collaborative problem-solving abilities through such tests
Gluckman (2002) commented on the commercialization of educational testing, noting that between 1955 and 1970, sales of all types of standardized tests grew from $5 million to $25 million. In 1990, standardized tests generated $130 million in revenues for test owners and marketers, with this amount increasing to $234 million in 2000. This emphasizes the growing significance of high stakes testing.
A study by Fitt, Rafferty, Pressner, and Heverly (1999) examined responses of a class o...