Abstract: Assessment and accountability have played prominent roles in many of the reform efforts during the last 50 years. Testing and assessment have been both the focus of controversy and the darling of policymakers (Madaus, 1985).
There are several reasons for the great appeal of assessment to policymakers as
an agent of reform.
First, tests and assessments are relatively inexpensive. Compared to changes
that involve increasing instructional time, reducing class size, attracting
more able people to teaching, hiring teacher aides, or implementing
programmatic changes that involve substantial professional development for
teachers, assessment is cheap.
Second, testing and assessment can be externally mandated. It is far easier to
mandate testing and assessment requirements at the state or district level than
it is to take actions that involve actual change in what happens inside the
classroom.