Some Problems in Evaluation

Abstract

The mere mention of the word “test” to a group of boys and girls often stimulates a chorus of groans and sighs, and rare indeed is the teacher who is enthusiastic about the task of preparing and marking examinations. It is not unlikely that many of you have recently expressed a fervent wish that you would never again have to struggle through the rites of a departing school year. But testing—or to use a broader term, evaluation of student progress—is a very important part of instructional activity. In a few weeks you will return to your schools and once again face the problems associated with arriving at judgments concerning the educational status of your pupils. It seems to me that the present occasion, before you become subject to the stress and strain of classroom teaching, may be an unusually appropriate time to think about some of these problems. Since at this time we are not faced with the task of planning specific tests for immediate use, we can concentrate upon certain general problems encountered in any careful evaluation of pupil progress.