Unequal By Design: High-Stakes Testing and the Standardization of Inequality

Unequal By Design: High-Stakes Testing and the Standardization of Inequality is a critical examination of the problems in the U.S. education system, focusing on the role of schools and standardized testing in reproducing social, cultural, and economic inequalities, advancing neoliberal, market-based educational schemes, and maintaining white supremacy. It provides up-to-date research, historical examples, and information about how testing has fostered the privatization of public education.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 146 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This new edition of Unequal By Design: High-Stakes Testing and the Standardization of Inequality delves deeply into the profound and enduring issues plaguing education systems in the United States, shedding light on the critical stakes involved for students, teachers, and communities negatively impacted by such testing. In addition to the original chapters, the updated edition includes new chapters that explore:

The Role of Schools and Standardized Testing in Reproducing Social, Cultural, and Economic Inequalities: This chapter examines how schools and standardized testing perpetuate social, cultural, and economic inequalities, contributing to the persistence of disparities in education outcomes. It highlights the ways in which high-stakes testing reinforces existing power structures and perpetuates the dominance of certain groups over others.

The Use of High-Stakes Testing to Advance Neoliberal, Market-Based Educational Schemes: This chapter explores how high-stakes testing is used as a tool to advance neoliberal, market-based educational schemes that prioritize the accumulation of wealth and power among elites. It examines the ways in which standardized tests are used to measure student performance, evaluate teachers, and allocate resources, ultimately shaping the educational landscape in favor of those with economic and social advantages.

The Dominance of Standardized Testing in Educational Systems: This chapter delves into the historical and ideological factors that have led to the dominance of standardized testing in educational systems. It examines how standardized testing became the primary tool for assessing student learning, despite its numerous technical and ideological problems. It also explores the ways in which standardized tests are used to maintain white supremacy and perpetuate discriminatory practices.

The Technical and Ideological Problems with Using Standardized Tests to Evaluate Students, Teachers, and Schools: This chapter highlights the technical and ideological challenges associated with using standardized tests to evaluate students, teachers, and schools. It discusses the limitations of such tests in capturing the full range of student abilities and skills, the potential for bias and discrimination in test scores, and the ways in which standardized testing can create a culture of fear and anxiety among students and teachers.

The Role of High-Stakes Testing in the Maintenance of White Supremacy: This chapter explores how high-stakes testing contributes to the maintenance of white supremacy. It examines the ways in which standardized tests reinforce racial and ethnic stereotypes, perpetuate biases, and limit the opportunities for students from marginalized communities. It also highlights the ways in which school communities have resisted high-stakes testing and used better assessments of student learning to promote equity and diversity.

Resistance to High-Stakes Testing and the Use of Better Assessments of Student Learning: This chapter showcases the efforts of school communities to resist high-stakes testing and advocate for better assessments of student learning. It provides examples of successful strategies and initiatives that have been implemented to promote student-centered education, reduce the impact of testing, and foster a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Parents, teachers, university students, and scholars alike will find Unequal By Design an invaluable resource for gaining a comprehensive and critical understanding of the issues surrounding our over-reliance on high-stakes, standardized testing in the United States. The book offers up-to-date research on testing, historical and contemporary examples of the struggles over such tests, and information about how testing has fostered the privatization of public education in the United States. By exploring these topics in depth, Unequal By Design empowers readers to become active participants in the ongoing debate about education reform and work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive educational system for all.

Weight: 300g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367437039
Edition number: 2 ed