Testing, Testing | Linda Darling-Hammond | TEDxStanford

Even Google has given up using standardized testing as a means for evaluating who will be most successful and who will make the best hire. American public schools, however, remain among the most standardized test-heavy education systems in the world. Why are we still “bubbling in,” as Darling-Hammond puts it, when top-performing countries such as Singapore long ago realized there are better and more accurate ways to evaluate both students and their teachers?
Linda Darling-Hammond is the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University. She has conducted research on policy issues affecting teaching and schooling, and has advised government policymakers and practitioners. Darling-Hammond is the former president of the American Educational Research Association, and former leader of President Barack Obama's education policy transition team. She was named one of the nation's 10 most influential people affecting educational policy over the past decade, and has written over 400 publications. Darling-Hammond began her career as a public school teacher and has co-founded a preschool and day care center as well as a public high school. She received her BA (magna cum laude) from Yale University, and an EdD in urban education (with highest distinction) from Temple University, as well as honorary degrees from 14 universities.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@dustystahn3855]

The ability to solve day to day problems are the meaningful tests and the only ones that count. If you solve them you succeed; if you don't you fail. People have succeeded for centuries without taking a standardized test. People aren't standardized, each person is unique.

[@NazriB]

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[@EndieGLITCH]

You go, lady! You have made this 12-year old very happy.

[@xavierjosephcieszynski-tru9668]

same

[@mrs.colleenwilliams8009]

I always enjoy Linda Hammonds perspective and simplistic way of making sense of the senseless parts in education. Bravo!

[@dr.hassanhashim247]

Testing from a comprehensive perspective! Great job! You gotta an overtone, impactful!

[@amitdholakia2467]

Nice session on Research and Teaching in International Education and Development

[@mikenmelodypizzi]

I really enjoyed hearing her perspective on innovative ways we could assess students in a more meaningful way. I'd love to see Utah adapt the graduation portfolio she described as well as a few authentic task questions instead of recall & regurgitate type items for elementary and middle schools.

[@melissa_woodward]

Hello Dr. Darling-Hammond, I enjoyed hearing your perspectives on what research is telling us about the use of standardized testing to evaluate or measure student performance and preparation. I am a graduate student enrolled in an M.Ed. online program through Arizona State University called Learning Design and Technologies and I have currently started a course called "Introduction to Research and Evaluation in Education". During our first week, we have dived into the evolution of research and evaluation for educational practice and we have been posed to ask some questions to those with more expertise in the field. We are also learning about the differences between research and evaluation. I was interested in learning what your take is on how these two processes are used in education. In reading about your background in research and how this has been utilized for educational policy needs, I was also curious as you presented the various research findings across different states and countries who have moved to different evaluation systems with their students to know what methodology you find to be the most used when collecting data to make recommendations for education standards? We have learned about various approaches to research and evaluation that incorporate different methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed method. How would you define research vs. evaluation and does this depend on the methodologies used in your field and the intended use of the questions being ask? Professionally, I support online learners in a role similar to that of a guidance counselor combined with an academic advisor and whenever we seek to understand our effectiveness with students, we complete self-evaluations that rely on the use of SMART goals to give tangible numbers to meet, but we also seek feedback through surveys with our students and partnerships. Therefore, I feel like the methodology we use is a bit mixed, but more heavily relies on evaluating effectiveness of skills and work performance. In your line of work, is there a clear distinction between how you use research vs. evaluation or are there similarities in practice? Thank you for your informative discussion and your time in reading this comment. -Melissa Woodward

[@melissadebruyne8780]

Would love if she offered tangible ways of applying her opinions to actual instructional practice. Wondering if she has more on that somewhere.

[@esperanzagarza8437]

I like this presentation. Regarding your first question I am struggling. When I see a test evaluation in front of me, what is the correct answer if all are similar? I feel like the test is testing more my grade of attention than testing the subject of knowledge. I feel some testing is designed to confuse to retest several times to double the price of the evaluation test. Feeling that if I pass, I will gave thank God because will be a miracle. Sorry, you asked what I felt.

[@freddyfriesen]

If your school system is into standardized testing you will immediately know that the system is totally incompetent regarding anything regarding education. A total waste of time and money. I entered the teaching profession in 1977. Having already worked in two professions in the real world, I wanted to share with my students the things my teachers did not seem to possess. A good teacher will be able to develop curricula and methodologies to match each student. Yes, each student. Surprise ! ! ! They are all different. What a novel idea: teaching towards competency! I learned far more from interviewing a student and examining their artifacts than any test could demonstrate. The first day of class I would tell my students that a score of ninety was a pass. Hey, if you are not going to master the material, why bother? Most students (95%) became inspired and worked themselves to the max. I guess forty years of teaching will have to do for this life. Would I be able to function the way I did in today's educational environment. Probably not. Political correctness and persons wanting to be offended would probably take me down. Thank goodness I was able to TEACH. My students did thank me for making a difference. The best part is when they invite you to their wedding and send you pictures of their kids.

[@binitadevi1370]

Good video

[@Void_Dweller7]

How does this vid only have 14 (I guess now 15) comments? Its surprising

[@filsinaginatyllina5619]

US has a big gap in the Educations System. It barely sucks.

[@dennisr.levesque2320]

I don't deny your valid points. However, the better answer, is a blend of your way and "their way". The more abstract it is, the more subjective it is. The more standardized it is, the more its true value can be shared. And, what good is getting an "A", when you have no idea what that "A" really means. Is it just an abstract value, or real value (potential, or available right now)? Shouldn't you have both?

[@davidthomas9276]

By taking assessment of students out of the hands of teachers, we are blatantly saying to our teachers "We don't trust you." Teachers feel the mistrust and they are deciding - in droves -to leave such an insulting environment.

[@dennisr.levesque2320]

@@davidthomas9276 No; it's not about trust at all. It's about having common standards to avoid comparing "apples vs oranges". Oranges will always make a "bad apple".

[@noorrandomlycommenting6929]

The x is missing the square

[@danathurnell5177]

Well duh our test scores are bad why try when there are so many

[@azharoslan]

Majulah Singapura!!

[@crypticTV]

13:00 future was us

[@stephenelliott7480]

Linda does a good job of promoting OECD Pisa - an international testing agency without direct accountability to any government. Pisa tests do not measure countries curriculum but do assign scores to pupils who have taken their tests. Much of her focus seems to be on avoiding teacher accountability. How many young pupils get a second chance at education because they weren't taught adequately the first time? As an example of Linda's psycho-babble how does one 'reclaim the future' when we can only live in the present? Perhaps a project will answer the question or thinking how to think?

[@LouieLouie505]

Did you watch this video? Your comments do not indicate you did. The OECD-PISA ranking is highly problematic taken at face-value because the testing is not standardized across countries. Assessing teacher efficacy involves more than using students' outcomes from standardized testing scores; teachers have no control on students' attendance, interests, previous knowledge, language use, health or disabilities. To help you since you do not even know what "psycho-babble" means (there was no psychology jargon used in the presentation), Hammond spent over ten minutes explaining how the focus has been on passing tests in an educational environment designed for a past that is no longer needed, and thus has not prepared students for future problems. "Reclaiming the future" in this context would mean curricula and assessment representing future concerns.

[@ErutaniaRose]

If schools are going to be mandatory, they should at least be worth the time. Quality is the key.

[@dynipjohn485]

Standardized Tests is just a piece of paper to see how much memory you sucked up and regurgitated on a paper. It is a good stress and anxiety farm, and good at destroying creativity and curiosity. I hope someone will change this big mess

[@markvincentbabanja293]

Shoutout III-BSE SCIENCE 😂

[@nowelynlaicasalocapricho1110]

HAHAHA

[@putratonasa964]

Allah huakbar sunami sulawesi semoga di berikan ke tabahan seluruh umat manusia

[@eckalecka]

Maybe Stop testing children as young as in the 3rd grade,etc. Perhaps start when their brains are actually more developed say, 9th or 10th. Testing young children....and with multiple types of tests, was not a thing until No Child Left Behind.

[@kerrijansson2919]

Not true. When I was in elementary school - I'm talking about the 1980s! - I had to take standardized tests from 2nd grade through 7th grade, and in middle school in grades 6 and 8 (long story short - different states, different standards). Then in junior and senior years of high school.

[@jamese8508]

Actually research shows that tests are predictive of success and productivity, and are more predictive the more they measure intelligence. Google probably dropped their testing because it opened them to liability.