Making the Grades

My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry

Todd Farley

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English

Berrett-Koehler
01 February 2011

Examinations & assessment; Business & management

In this alternately amusing and appalling expose of the standardized test industry, fifteen-year veteran Todd Farley describes statisticians who make decisions about students without even looking at their test answers; state education officials willing to change the way tests are scored whenever they don't like the results; and massive, multi-national, for-profit testing companies who regularly opt for expediency and profit over the altruistic educational goals of teaching and learning.

Although there are absurd moments--as when Farley and coworkers had to grade students based on how they described the taste of their favorite food-- the enormous importance of standardized tests in the post ""No Child Left Behind"" era make this no laughing matter.

""This book is dynamite! The nice personal voice makes it utterly accessible and enticing, wholly apart from the terribly important ammunition it provides to those of us in the `testing wars' at national and local levels.""-Jonathan Kozol, author of Savage Inequities

By: Todd Farley
Imprint: Berrett-Koehler
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 141mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 366g
ISBN: 9780981709154
ISBN 10: 098170915X
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 01 February 2011
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Part 1. Wage Slavery 1: Scoring Monkey 2: Numbers 3: Wheat from the Chaff 4: Off TaskPart 2 Management 5: Table Leader 6: The Oracle of Princeton 7: The King of Scoring 8: Professional Liar Part 3 My Own Private Halliburton 9: A Real Job 10: Reliability Redux 11: Working in Theory 12: Warm Bodies

For fifteen years, Todd Farley worked for renowned companies on some of the most important standardized tests in America. During that time, he wrote and scored tests in math, reading, science, social studies, history, writing, health, and the arts. Since leaving the industry, he has contributed articles to Education Week, Rethinking Schools, and other publications. He lives in New York City.

Reviews for Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry

."" . .a humorous yet sobering glimpse at the testing arena--a must-read for policymakers and pundits enchanted by high-stakes tests."" -- Dennis Van Roekel, President, National Education Association ""This revealing account is full of dark humor and asks many disturbing questions that will rouse debate among educators and concerned general readers."" -- Karl Helicher, September/October 2009, Foreword ""Todd Farley has a new book: It was an intriguing read..."" -- Jay Mathews, The Washington Post ."" . .a humorous yet sobering glimpse at the testing arena--a must-read for policymakers and pundits enchanted by high-stakes tests."" -- Dennis Van Roekel, President, National Education Association ""This revealing account is full of dark humor and asks many disturbing questions that will rouse debate among educators and concerned general readers."" -- Karl Helicher, September/October 2009, ""Foreword"" ""Todd Farley has a new book: It was an intriguing read..."" -- Jay Mathews, ""The Washington Post"""" "" "". . .a humorous yet sobering glimpse at the testing arena--a must-read for policymakers and pundits enchanted by high-stakes tests."" -- Dennis Van Roekel, President, National Education Association ""This revealing account is full of dark humor and asks many disturbing questions that will rouse debate among educators and concerned general readers."" -- Karl Helicher, September/October 2009, ""Foreword"" ""Todd Farley has a new book: It was an intriguing read..."" -- Jay Mathews, ""The Washington Post"" "" ""