Robert Schaeffer
The sentencing of nearly a dozen Atlanta educators and administrators for artificially inflating student test scores is the latest example of what is called “Campbell’s Law.”
As Campbell predicted, widespread corruption has been an inevitable consequence of the overuse and misuse of high-stakes testing. Across the country, manipulation of standardized exam scores has been confirmed in 40 states, the District of Columbia and Department of Defense schools in just the past five academic years.
Unfortunately, erasing errors and filling in correct answers is one of many ways to “cheat” on standardized tests. Scandals in Baltimore, Camden, Columbus, El Paso, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and many other jurisdictions are the tip of an iceberg. Strategies that boost scores without improving learning, including narrow teaching to the test and pushing out low-scoring students, are spreading rapidly.
The focus on boosting standardized exam scores results in two types of educational damage. The testing fixation takes time away from broader and deeper learning, leaving students unprepared for the challenges of college, careers and civic life. It simultaneously inflates test results by making it seem like real academic growth took place when there may be little or none. These are the kinds of corruption described in Campbell’s law.
Drilling the narrow content likely to appear on politically mandated exams leads to deemphasizing untested subjects and skills. The higher the stakes, the more schools limit instruction. Subjects not covered by exams, such as science, social studies, music, and art are reduced or eliminated. Important skills not measured by standardized tests—such as writing research papers, public speaking or conducting laboratory experiments—are not taught. This narrowing of curriculum is most severe for low-income students, racial minorities, students with disabilities and English language learners. All these groups historically post lower average scores.
Many schools direct teachers to concentrate on children closest to moving from failing to passing—so-called “bubble kids.” This practice neglects students who are far behind and those who are most advanced.
