When Increasing Stakes Need Not Mean Increasing Standards: The Case of the New York State Global History and Geography Exama

Abstract

In New York, state-level policymakers have invested considerable political and economic capital in new tests as both a measure of accountability and as a vehicle for increased educational standards. In this study, we look at how 9^th and 10^th grade global history teachers are making sense of the first administration of a new 10^th grade global history exam. Building on prior work, we question the relationship between new tests and higher standards. We argue that the teachers in our sample believe the new exam is a poor measure of learning, that they have made few changes in their teaching beyond adding on a layer of test preparation, and that they see a disconnect between the new tests and higher standards. We conclude that, while state policymakers may have raised the stakes, they have failed to raise educational standards.