Validity and Accountability in High-Stakes Testing

Abstract

In this article, the authors argue that the cultures of accountability and validity are at odds. Calls for accountability arise from the polis, or political community. Validity is the standard of quality that professionals place on tests. When the polis demands that tests serve high-stakes accountability functions, professional testing standards often are compromised. In accountability contexts, test results decide which students are retained in grade, held back from graduation, and assigned to tracks or special classifications. Yet, empirical evidence suggests that the use of flawed indicators produces unreliable and unrepresentative inferences and decisions. High-stakes testing produces teaching and testing practices that lead to inflated test scores and further disadvantage already disadvantaged students.