Published: 2018

Publication Name: Maine Education Policy Research Institute

Publication URL: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mepri/51/

Abstract:

In early 2017 the Maine legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs considered L.D. 573, a bill that would require the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to “conduct an audit of standardized testing in a random sample of school administrative units statewide for the purpose of understanding the amount, cost and usefulness of standardized testing.” The Committee declined to support the bill as proposed, and instead requested a smaller study in the spirit of the bill’s intent. This report summarizes the resulting effort, which included a literature scan, document analysis, and surveys of two groups of school practitioners (testing administrators and teachers) to analyze the amount of time Maine students spend on testing, the types of tests administered, and whether the results are perceived as useful for practitioners. The scope of the study did not include viewpoints from policymakers who use test results for accountability purposes (such as superintendents, boards of education, or the Maine Department of Education).

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This study was funded by the Maine State Legislature, and the University of Maine System.

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Fairman, J. C., Johnson, A., Mette, I. M., Wickerd, G., & LaBrie, S. (2018). A review of standardized testing practices and perceptions in Maine. Maine Education Policy Research Institute. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mepri/51/