Putting the Standardized Test Debate in Perspective.

A re the criticisms of educational testing valid, or do most of the objections stem from the fact that such tests are often misused? By far the most common type of standard ized test is the norm-referenced test— that in which a student's performance is systematically compared with the performance of other (presumably) similar students Minimum compc tency and criterion-referenced tests— those that measure student perfor mance against established criteria— can also be standardized However, not coincidentally, most criticism has been leveled at standardized, normreferenced tests