High-Stakes Testing

High-stakes testing refers to the practice of using educational or psychological tests to make decisions that have important consequences for the [Page 417]test takers. Common examples of high-stakes testing include the use of competency tests in particular subjects to determine whether students should be advanced from one grade to another; the use of aptitude tests to place students in particular educational programs, including those for gifted and talented students; the use of entrance examinations for educational institutions; and the use of tests of various sorts to select candidates for job training programs and to screen applicants for employment. Though high-stakes testing has come to refer almost exclusively to minimum competency testing in the schools—for grade advancement and high school graduation, as well as for governmental ...