Testing

History of Testing and Education

Although examples of testing likely go back to the very beginning of humankind, some of the earliest accounts of tests being used to inform educational practice are from China during the time of the Han dynasty (circa 200 B.C.). Prior to the development of a testing system in China, men were selected for governmental positions based on their royal status. Following the development of an examination system, men from a variety of different backgrounds (e.g., low socioeconomic status) were selected for such positions based on successful test performance. These examinations are believed to have fostered a unified set of national values and educational goals across China. Following the development of these tests, educational programming was designed to promote the development of associated skills and knowledge among students, such that they would perform well on the tests in the future.

In the late 19th century, as the scientific method was becoming more widely used to study aspects of the human mind, strategies and tools were developed to systematically measure qualities of the human mind and its functioning. Wilhelm Wundt, who is often considered the first psychologist, developed methods for measuring sensory and perceptual experiences. His student, James Cattell, brought these early mental tests to the United States and then used them to test his university students. Around the same time, Alfred Binet co-created what has been considered the very first test of intelligence: the Binet–Simon scale. This test went through several revisions over time. Other tests of intelligence were also developed (e.g., Wechsler Scales, Woodcock–Johnson). These tests were originally used within schools to identify students who were considered to be in need of different educational programming.

During World War I, testing practices were used to identify individuals for military positions; draftees were administered the Army Alpha, which is considered to be one of the first intelligence tests administered in a large-scale fashion. Following World War I, school administrators began to increasingly administer similar brief tests of intelligence on a large-scale basis to all children within a given school. Tests similar to the Army Alpha were also administered to college applicants to help in making scholarship decisions. This was intended to allow for scholarship decisions to be less influenced by the quality of a student's past educational experience, and more by a student's potential for academic success.

In the past few decades, tests have become much more carefully developed, and results from standardized group and individual tests have become much more systematically used to inform a variety of decisions. Many laws and regulations now provide the foundation for the use of test results to inform decision making within educational settings. For instance, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that schools and districts demonstrate that students are making adequate yearly progress, which is often determined based on student test performance. Furthermore, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 provides guidelines for how students are to be determined eligible to receive special education services. Tests are often used to help inform these eligibility decisions.

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