New Resource Illustrates How to Ethically Prepare Students for High-Stakes Tests
Bloomington, Ind. (September 14, 2021)— In Ethical Test Preparation in the Classroom—published by Marzano Resources—authors Robert J. Marzano, Christopher W. Dodson, Julia A. Simms, and Jacob P. Wipf provide everything educators need to know about ethical and effective test preparation.
Large-scale assessments are a common method of measuring students’ knowledge and skills. However, the authors say, performance on these tests may not represent students’ true abilities if they are not familiar with the nuances and idiosyncrasies of the tests themselves.
The authors explain, “If students know what to expect on large-scale assessments and have the opportunity to learn about both the content and the schemata they will encounter, their performance on such assessments is more likely to accurately reflect what they know and are able to do.”
To help educators understand what tests actually ask students to know and be able to do, the authors analyzed thousands of questions from state and national tests in English language arts, mathematics, and science. The book explores the results of this analysis and offers readers a practical approach to deepening students’ content knowledge and ethically preparing them to demonstrate that knowledge.
Anthony R. Reibel, assistant principal for teaching and learning at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois, has called the book “a must for educators looking for an impressive dissection of large- and small-scale assessments to aid in their creation of unbiased assessments.”
Ardavan Eizadirad, assistant professor of education at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, has also praised the book, saying, “This is a timely read for all educators and school administrators to help mitigate inequality of opportunity often perpetuated through the use of standardized tests!”
Ethical Test Preparation in the Classroom is available to order at MarzanoResources.com.
About the Authors
Robert J. Marzano, PhD, is cofounder and chief academic officer of Marzano Resources in Denver, Colorado. A leading researcher in education, he is a speaker, trainer, and author of more than 50 books and 200 articles.
Christopher W. Dodson is a proficiency scale analyst at Marzano Resources. His primary focus is assessment and grading, with work in areas such as standards-based grading and classroom assessment.
Julia A. Simms is vice president of Marzano Resources. A former classroom teacher, Julia and her team develop research-based resources and provide support to educators as they implement them.
Jacob P. Wipf is a proficiency scale analyst at Marzano Resources. He helps develop resources for assessment and grading, with a particular focus on standards-based grading and classroom assessment.
About Marzano Resources
Marzano Resources, formerly Marzano Research, is dedicated to helping K–12 educators advance student achievement. Built on the foundation of Dr. Robert J. Marzano’s 50 years of education research, Marzano Resources supports teachers and administrators through customizable on-site professional development, educator events, virtual coaching, books, videos and online courses. Our associates and authors are thought leaders in the field of education and deliver research-backed guidance for all major areas of schooling, including curriculum development, instruction, assessment, student engagement and personalized competency-based education. Marzano Resources is the home of High Reliability Schools and The New Art and Science of Teaching.
