The Source of Lake Wobegon (slide show)

dc.creator	Richard P. Phelps
dc.date	2007-05-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:30:02Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:30:02Z
dc.identifier	2150-6477
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/ae5fa9f4055f4211857be12723fa04a7
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/22226
dc.description	John J. Cannell's late 1980's "Lake Wobegon" reports suggested widespread deliberate educator manipulation of norm-referenced standardized test (NRT) administrations and results, resulting in artificial test score gains. The Cannell studies have been referenced in education research since, but as evidence that high stakes (and not cheating or lax security) cause test score inflation. This article examines that research and Cannell's data for evidence that high stakes cause test score inflation. No such evidence is found. Indeed, the evidence indicates that, if anything, the absence of high stakes is associated with artificial test score gains. The variable most highly correlated with test score inflation is general performance on achievement tests, with traditionally low-performing states exhibiting more test score inflation on low-stakes norm-referenced tests than traditionally high-performing states, regardless of whether or not a state also maintains a high-stakes testing program. The unsupported high-stakes-cause-test-score-inflation hypothesis seems to derive from the surreptitious substitution of an antiquated definition of the term "high stakes" and a few studies afflicted with left-out-variable bias. The source of test-score inflation is lax security, regardless the stakes of a test.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Nonpartisan Education Review
dc.relation	http://www.nonpartisaneducation.org/Review/Resources/LakeWobegonSlideShow.htm
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2150-6477
dc.source	Nonpartisan Education Review , Vol 3, Iss 3, Pp 1-26 (2007)
dc.subject	Lake Wobegon
dc.subject	test score inflation
dc.subject	artificial test score gains
dc.subject	high-stakes test
dc.subject	cheating
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.title	The Source of Lake Wobegon (slide show)
dc.type	article