Standardised Tests

“LAST week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan acknowledged standardized tests are flawed measures of student progress. But the problem is not so much the tests themselves — it’s the people scoring them.’NYT 27/09/09-TODD FARLEY

Comment:
Disagree.All the so called tests are based on general standardized tests arrived at by designing on the basis of general ability of testees for a group with certain parameters like education,parental background,social status, economic back ground, age etc.Based on common points tests are designed and presented to people.They are evaluated.
The issue here is these parameters themselves are interdependent-say economic position on cultural behavior,behavior on economic position,these two on genes or environment;environment is constituted by society and parents and they are dependent on environment, thus forming a vicious cycle. So these tests are at the very best indicative and do not really reflect the the individual for what he is.
In fact ,for example , Personality,Intelligence Perception, Attitudes are not exactly defined.They are open for discussion and no final word has been heard.
Interpretation has a subjective element as well,despite precautions as it can not be wholly eliminated.
On both counts tests are at best only indicative and nothing can replace individual’s evaluation by another matured person(even Maturity has to be defined).Period