School tests now influence what teachers teach, how educators are evaluated, and whether children are successful in school. W. James Popham has written the book every parent needs to read. It explains what the tests your kids are taking really mean--and don't mean--about your children and their education. In this easy-to-read-and-understand book, you'll learn the pros and cons of different kinds of tests and other educational assessments. How you can decide when tests are being used effectively and when they're not. How both classroom tests and standardized tests are used and misused in judging your children and their school. More importantly, Dr. Popham teaches you to use this knowledge to communicate effectively with teachers and administrators so you can make a real difference in your child's education.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Popham has produced another practitioner-oriented winner on testing, but this time it's for parents... A must read for all parents who want to understand the real meaning of their children's test scores." — Ronald A. Berk, Professor of Biostatistics and Measurement, Johns Hopkins University"In an era when tests are being used as instruments, rather than indicators, of educational reform and the lives of children can be profoundly altered by their performance on a single external test, it is essential that every parent become knowledgeable about testing practices in their children's schools. What kinds of tests are used in schools? For what purposes? What interpretations are being made? What can happen to a child as a result of their test score? What determines the quality of a test? ... Testing! Testing! What Every Parent should Know About School Tests provides sound and lucid answers to every one of these questions and many more. By reading this book, parents can become knowledgeable advocates for reliable testing policies in their children's schools and can protect their children from the rampant abuses that result from misguided testing practices. I commend it to every concerned parent!" — Richard M. Jaeger, NationsBank Professor of Educational Research Methodology University of North Carolina at Greensboro
From the Inside Flap
PREFACE
This is a book written for parents who want to improve their children's educational experiences. It's a book about school testing. I've tried to keep the book's content as simple as I can, but even I am reluctant to characterize the book as a "fun read." It has neither a plot nor a story line. And the book's main character is you.
Even though the book deals with an important topic, I've tried to maintain a light writing style, tossing in an occasional bit of whimsy to keep you alert. You'll also find a number of test-related cartoons to make the book somewhat more parent-palatable. If you read only the cartoons, however, you may miss much of the book's content.
Let me be clear about one thing. I want parents to read this book. School testing has, in recent decades, become really significant stuff. School testing now influences what teachers teach, how educators are evaluated, and whether children are successful in school. Parents should be playing pivotal roles regarding the use of school tests. But parents can't really participate as they should in dealing with school tests if they are uninformed about school testing.
Informed parents, however, can make an enormous difference in the way that educational tests are used. If you finish this book, you'll be in a position to make a genuine contribution to your own child's education and to the education of your child's classmates.
I've been wanting to write this book for a number of years now. I think both the topic (school testing) and the audience (parents) are as important as they come.
During three decades as a faculty member in the UCLA Graduate School of Education, I've written a good many books. (Professors are supposed to do that.) But I've never tried to write a more potentially useful book than this.
I hope you'll read this book about school tests from cover to cover. If you do, you'll not immediately move to a higher tax bracket, but it will help your child get a better education.
W.J.P.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Dr. Popham has spent the bulk of his educational career as a teacher. Most of his teaching took place at UCLA where, for nearly 20 years, he taught courses in instructional methods as well as courses in evaluation and measurement. Because he was aware of the perishability of professors who fail to publish, he spent his non-teaching hours affixing words to paper. A summary of his publications can be found in a 44-page, single-spaced vita. Although his books are filled with whimsy, the vita is really dull reading. Most recently, Dr. Popham was appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must read for Parents and Teachers,
By A Customer
This review is from: Testing! Testing!: What Every Parent Should Know About School Tests (Paperback)
I am a parent who also is a doctoral student in measurement. I teach an undergraduate course which is required for pre-service teachers. I bought this book even though I have many more advanced level books on the topic because Popham does an excellent job presenting sometimes difficult and technical manner in a format which is humorous, inviting and easy to read - uncommon characteristics for most material in the field! In today's testing world this wonderful text is full of information to enable all parents to better understand testing and what they can do to help their child perform better. I feel teachers would also benefit from Popham's easy to understand expertise as he addresses parental concerns - teachers could learn not only measurement but gain a better understanding of parental concerns.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
