The Ethical Dilemmas of High-Stakes Testing and Issues for Teacher Preparation Programs

Abstract

This essay is an analysis of the issues surrounding large-scale, high-stakes testing in the accountability systems and their impact on teacher preparation programs in colleges and universities. It focuses on the practical and the ethical implications of high-stakes tests and the preparation of pre-service teachers as they relate to student assessment and curriculum implementation. Culturally responsive pedagogy is presented as a palliative to the problem of how to prepare students from diverse backgrounds for these tests. The position of the teacher as a mediator between policies and diverse student populations is explored in light of ethical considerations. The essay attempts to find solutions to the problems teachers and prospective teachers encounter on an instructional level. Transactional-analysis as applied to the classroom in order to explore and to generate ideas about the best pedagogical approach to alleviate the stresses faced by students, particularly in the test-taking era is discussed. Finally, the value of standardized testing is weighed with factors that influence the teaching and learning process.