Grice 1

Molly Grice

Professor Dunham

ENG 1201

9 March, 2019

Annotated Bibliography

My essay will cover how standardized tests impact teachers and students. It will

also cover how accurately these tests measure and depict a student’s intelligence. I will

answer how standardized tests began, how the stress and pressure impact students as

well as teachers, and how a family’s income and race play a role in tests results.

Pullmann, Joy. “How Common Core Damages Students' College Readiness.” The

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 29 May 2017,

www.jamesgmartin.center/2017/03/common-core-damages-students-college-

readiness/. 3 Mar. 2019

This article was posted on The James G. Martin Center For Academic Renewal

by Joy Pullmann and updated on March 10, 2017. The main point of this source is to

educate the reader on what the Common Core requires for students and to describe its

effects. The author also gives multiple statistics and examples of studies done to show

the decreased readiness for high school seniors to go to college.

The author explains that respected scholars such as Sandra Stotsky and Mark

Bauerlein believe that college readiness will likely decrease. Even Common Core

advocates like Professor Jason Zimba believe this national program would not prepare

students for selective colleges. Government officials such as President Obama believe
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the Common Core is putting the ‘college and career ready’ mantra on the lips of K-12

educators across the country. The article also provides statistics to support the opinions

expressed. For example, the Common Core requires high school seniors to read more

nonfiction than fiction in school. This lack of experience with complex texts has been

proven to show that students are less prepared for college.

The writer’s purpose in this article is to inform the reader that college readiness

has dropped with the implication of the Common Core. The author included many

statistics and studies that have been done to prove the intellect of students was at its

best before the Common Core. For example, Ze’ev Wurman the former U.S.

Department of Education policy advisor, notes the number of students taking Algebra in

grade 8 along with the ACT and SAT scores have all dropped. This piece was written to

inform an audience that isn’t very educated on the topic. Because of this, I would

assume that the intended audience includes students and parents who want to learn

more about the effects of the Common Core. This piece was also written in March of

2017, just three years since the Common Core was implemented. The timing affects

what was said in this source because it shows that the studies conducted were based

off of new data.

Pullmann is a managing editor of The Federalist and author of The Education

Invasion: How Common Core Fights Parents for Control of American Kids. Pullmann

has also taught high school and middle school history, literature, and debate. I know the

author and this source are credible for Pullmann used to be a teacher herself, and all of

the information she gathered was quoted from respected scholars. This source will help
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me verify my thesis that the Common Core is not adequately preparing students for the

future. I will use this source throughout the middle of my research paper.

Ravitch, Diane. “The Common Core Costs Billions and Hurts Students.” The New York

Times, The New York Times, 23 July 2016,

www.nytimes.com/2016/07/24/opinion/sunday/the-common-core-costs-billions-

and-hurts-students.html. 3 Mar. 2019

This article was posted on the New York Times by Diane Ravitch and updated on

July 23, 2016. The main point of this article is to describe to the reader how much the

Common Core is costing our government and the effects of standardized tests on

students and school districts. Ravitch provides ample facts and evidence to support her

claims.

The author describes how for fifteen years, since the passage of George W.

Bush’s No Child Left Behind act, education reformers have promoted standardized

testing, school choice, competition and accountability as the primary means of

improving education. However, these tests are coming with a cost and are taking a toll

on students. For example, making the tests harder predictably depresses test scores,

creating a sense of failure and hopelessness among young children. The author also

explores the idea, suggested by social scientists, that failure rates correlate with race

and family incomes.

The author’s purpose is to provide the readers with the history of the Common

Core Standards and the impacts of race and income on test results. For instance, the

United States passed an act requiring standardized tests and establishing a national
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curriculum. Also, researchers have found higher failure rates in specific areas and with

certain races. This was written to inform people not very educated on the topic of

Common Core Standards. Because of this, I would assume that the intended audience

is students and parents seeking for more knowledge over the history of standardized

testing. This piece was written in July of 2016, only two years since the application of

the Common Core. So the information provided in this article is based off of new data,

that the author clearly states can change over time.

Ravitch is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research

professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human

Development. Ravitch was also an assistant secretary of education in George H. W.

Bush’s administration. I know the author and this source are credible for Ravitch worked

closely with Bush during the same time as when the No Child Left Behind Act passed. I

will use this source to provide context for my topic in my introduction, and in the middle

of my research paper to help demonstrate how the tests affect students.

Strauss, Valerie. “Common Core Reading Pros and Cons.” The Washington Post, WP

Company, 4 Dec. 2012, www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-

sheet/wp/2012/12/04/common-core-reading-pros-and-

cons/?utm_term=.7308721c3f5a. 3 Mar. 2019

This article was posted on The Washington Post by Valerie Strauss and updated

on December 4, 2012. The main point of this article is to explore the pros and cons of

the Common Core Standards from a teacher’s point of view. This article also provides

the reader with an example of how the teachers feel about the new required testing.
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The first part of the article is to provide the reader with a couple problems

presented by the Common Core. The introduction also gives John T. Spencer’s

credentials, to explain to the reader why they are hearing his list of pros and cons on

this topic. The second part of the article focuses on how teachers are adjusting to the

new standards and curriculums. Spencer then provides the reader with his opinion and

his list of pros and cons. The third section is the conclusion that includes how the

standards and the pros and cons list will impact the overall education system. The

author emphasizes their opinion that they don’t think the standards will lead to a seismic

shift in how we teach our content.

The purpose of this article is to address both views on the topic of Common Core

Standards. The audience for this article is directed towards teachers and students new

to the Common Core, who are still adjusting. This piece was written in 2012 in the early

stages of standardized testing. The author clearly states, at this time, that the teacher’s

opinions and feelings toward the new standards may differentiate over time as they get

used to it.

Valerie Strauss is an education writer who authors The Answer Sheet blog. She

now writes for The Washington Post and covers stories regarding education and foreign

affairs. The teacher Strauss used to discuss their pros and cons based on the Common

Core is named John T. Spencer. Spencer is a sixth-grade English teacher in an urban,

Title One School. He has written five books, including “Pencil Me In,” an allegory for

educational technology; “Teaching Unmasked,” about the impact paradox; “Sages and

Lunatics,” a memoir and critique on factory education; and “A Sustainable Start,” a

realistic look at the first year of teaching. I know the author and this source are credible
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for Strauss covers educational topics and Spencer has written multiple books and is a

teacher himself. Also, I know I can trust this source for neither writer uses bias. I will use

the con list in the middle of my research paper to further develop my thesis, and to

argue that standardized testing has more negatives than positives. I will use the pro list

to help provide the reader with the other stance on my topic that way I don’t use bias.

The Room 241 Team. “Do Standardized Tests Accurately Show Students'

Abilities?”Concordia University-Portland, 5 May 2018, education.cu-

portland.edu/blog/news/do-standardized-test-show-an-accurate-view-of-students-

abilities/. 3 Mar. 2019

This article was posted by the Concordia University of Portland on June 21,

2012. This blog post has since been updated in December of 2017. The main point of

this article is to explore the pros and cons of standardized testing and to discuss the

effectiveness of these tests. The author also provides information given from educators

and psychologists to further discuss if these tests properly measure a student’s

achievement along with the lasting effect they have on students.

The first part of the article is to provide the reader with the history of standardized

testing. The introduction also elaborates on where the author gathered his or her’s

information. The second part of the article focuses on the pros of standardized testing.

This section also discusses the consistency of testing, a teacher’s evaluation, and the

measure of achievement for college. The third part of the article considers the cons to

standardized testing. This section includes how teachers prepare for the tests,

questions and answers about standardized testing, and explores the question regarding
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whether there are too many tests or not. The final section of this article provides other

performance measurements schools can use, such as high school graduation rates.

The purpose of this article is to consider both sides on the topic of standardized

testing. The audience for this article is guided towards school districts, for the author

mentions other ways schools can measure their excellence other than test results. The

article was written in 2012 but latter modified in 2017. The information now provided in

the article is more recent and up to date.

The Room 241 Team is comprised of Faubion School staff, College of Education

staff, and 3 to PhD’s core partners, Kaiser Permanente, Portland Public Schools, and

Trillium Family Services. I know the authors and this source are credible for the staff is

made up of educators who are knowledgeable about this topic. Also, I know I can rely

on this source for the author doesn’t use bias. The writer makes sure to cover both

sides of this controversial topic. Another reason I can depend on this article is because

the author gives the readers statistics from national studies and facts from qualified

psychologists. I will use the con list in the middle of my research paper to further

develop my thesis, and to show the readers the negatives of standardized testing. I will

use the pro list to provide my reader with a counterargument, so I don’t show bias. I will

also use the history of standardized testing given from this article in my introduction, to

supply my reader with background information and context.

Wexler, Natalie. “What To Do About Standardized Tests.”

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Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 15 Nov.2018,

www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2018/11/15/what-to-do-about-standardized-

tests/#52de60c63074

This article was posted on Forbes by Natalie Wexler on November 15, 2018. The

main point of this source is to discuss the effects of standardized tests. She goes on to

give solutions and possible outcomes to fixing standardized testing.

The author introduces the idea that race and a family’s income play a role in test

results. Wexler says test scores are highly correlated with family income, and the gap in

scores has grown along with income inequality. Students from higher-income families

generally score better. It’s because of a variety of reasons, like level of parental

education and exposure to enriching experiences. Children from wealthier families are

more likely to pick up the kind of knowledge necessary to understand the passages on

reading tests. She later offers a solution to the score gap, which is teachers simply need

to stop looking to the tests as a guide to what and how to teach. Wexler believes we

don’t need to wait until poverty and racism have been “addressed” to do something

about the test-score gap, she believes something can be done now.

The purpose of this article is to explore how race and income tie into test results.

Also, the purpose is to discuss that testing in reading and math has squeezed other

subjects—like history, science, and the arts—out of the curriculum. The intended

audience for this article is people not very aware of the problems caused by

standardized testing. For example, the test-score gap caused by family income. This

article was written in November of 2018, so the information provided is semi-new and

relevant.
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Natalie Wexler is a senior contribute for Forbes and is the author of “ The

Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—and How

to Fix It.” I know the author and this source are credible for Wexler mostly discusses the

effects of race and income on test results, and she wrote a book on this very same

topic. I will use the information provided in this article to discuss how standardized

testing doesn’t provide all subjects in its curriculum. Also, I will use this information to

describe how Common Core testing impacts students. Especially, those of lower

income families.

Winslow, Samantha. “Interview: A Teacher Decodes Common Core.” Labor Notes, 7

July 2015, www.labornotes.org/2014/07/interview-teacher-decodes-common-

core. 3 Mar. 2019

This article was posted on Labor Notes by Samantha Winslow on July 7, 2014.

The main point of this source is to provide the reader with an inclusive interview with a

teacher, concerning the Common Core and standardized testing. The author also gives

the reader an inside look to a group called the Gates Foundation, who oppose the

standards and are looking to create new ones.

The author explores multiple topics when interviewing the teacher from

Milwaukee. The teacher delves into what the standards actually are, what parts of the

standards are more crucial, true and false statements concerning the Common Core,

how these standards are either pushing or holding students back, how the standards

connect to class and race, and what steps educators can take to ensure students are
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meeting the standards. Winslow then describes why and what brought up this heated

debate, along with the purpose of the Gates Foundation.

The purpose of this article is to answer questions to help create more certainty

and assurance over this controversial topic. Also, the purpose of this source is to get an

inside look of a teacher’s opinion over the Common Core. The intended audience for

this source is people not very educated or well knowledgeable over this topic. For this

article provides ample detail and answers to questions many people might have. The

article was written in 2014 so, the information and answers given by the teacher were

based off of a new educational system.

Samantha WInslow is a staff writer, organizer, and co-director of Labor Notes.

Also, I looked up her name and her credentials along with numerous books written by

Winslow were posted. The teacher she interviewed is named Ingrid Walker-Henry who

works for the Center of Teaching, Learning and Public Education. Walker-Henry is also

a member of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA). I know the

author and this source are credible for both Winslow and Walker-Henry have dealt with

educational topics before. Also, Winslow didn’t show any bias in her interview

questions. The interview was completely fair and didn’t lean towards one side. I will use

the information Walker-Henry provided to further develop my thesis by saying the

negatives of the Common Core. I will also use the material over the Gates Foundation

throughout my essay to demonstrate groups fighting against the new standards.

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Zimmerman, Tim. “The Effects of Standardized Tests on Teachers and Students.” The

Classroom, 3 Mar. 2019 www.theclassroom.com/effects-standardized-tests-

teachers-students-10379.html

This article was posted on The Classroom by Tim Zimmerman, in January of

2019. The main point of this source is to describe the frustration kids, parents and

educators are experiencing due to standardized tests. For standardized tests take up

valuable teaching time, and seem to have one endpoint: long assessments that are not

always an accurate measurement of student skills or teaching methods. The author also

describes the purpose of standardized testing, the impact on students, impact on

teachers, and the overall impact.

Standardized tests create negative effects on the overall health and well-being of

teachers and their students. Zimmerman says standardized tests can place a significant

amount of physical and emotional stress on students and teachers. For these tests can

hold teachers and school districts accountable in academic performance. The National

Education Association (NEA) teacher members found that nearly three out of four, or 72

percent, of teachers felt moderate to extreme pressure from their school and

administrators to improve their standardized test scores. Zimmerman goes on to say

that stress from standardized tests can lead to poorer health for students and negative

feelings toward school. Because of this, students begin to question their abilities and

self-esteem. While standardized tests proponents argue that standardized tests hold

teachers and school districts accountable, Zimmerman argues that the stress given to

educators and kids outweighs accountability.

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The purpose of this article is to explain the impact of standardized tests on

teachers and students through multiple statistics. The intended audience for this source

is people not very educated on this topic, as well as people who strongly disagree with

standardized testing. For this article provides readers with a sense of how teachers,

students, parents, and school districts feel regarding standardized testing along with the

effects it brings. This article was written in January 2019, so the evidence provided is

new and relevant.

Tim Zimmerman is an Associate Consultant at Manhattan Strategy Group

(MSG), a management and social services consulting firm that works with Federal,

State, and local government agencies. I know the author and this source are credible for

Zimmerman provides evidence from national agencies and national studies. Also,

Zimmerman is very experienced in social services, like education, at the state level. I

will use the information provided in this article to explain the negative impacts of

standardized testing.
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