Simon Fraser University
Collateral Damage

July 25, 2007

 

Collateral Damage

For more than a decade, the debate over high-stakes testing has dominated the field of education. In this passionate and provocative book, Sharon Nichols and David Berliner document the ways that high-stakes testing threatens the purposes and ideals of American education. Their analysis is grounded in the application of Campbell’s law, which posits that the greater the social consequences associated with a quantitative indicator (such as test scores), the more likely it is that the indicator itself will become corrupted – and that its use will corrupt the social processes it was intended to monitor.

 

Nichols and Berliner show how the pressures of high-stakes testing erode the validity of test scores and distort the integrity of the education system. Their analysis provides a comprehensive intellectual framework for arguments against high-stakes testing, while putting a compelling human face on the data marhaled in support of those arguments.

 

“Nichols and Berliner provide a hard-hitting and thoughtful critique of today’s overreliance on high-stakes testing. This is a must-read for anyone concerned about the unintended consequences of education reform.”

– Paul D. Houston, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators

“The cumulative impact of the accounts Nichols and Berliner lay out before us is staggering. They punch it home: The moral impact of NCLB may be a s dangerous as its educational effects.”

– Deborah Meier, Senior Scholar, New York University

 

“Collateral Damage delivers a healthy dose of hard truth. It should be required reading for policy makers and concerned citizens.” – Jeannie Oaks, Presidential Professor and Director, UCLA Institute for Democracy Education, and Access

 

“Nichols and Berliner provide a carefully reasoned analysis laced with frightening accounts drawn from public schools. This readable volume eviscerates the premise that our schools can be evaluated with a single indicator. If you care about public schooling, this book is essential.”

– W. James Popham, Professor Emeritus, UCLA

 

To learn more or order a copy of the book “Collateral Damage: How High-stakes Testing Corrupts America’s Schools”, go to the Harvard Education Press

 

David C. Berliner, is the Regents’ Professor of Education at Arizona State University in Tempe. He is a past president of the American Educational Research Association and a member of the National Academy of Education. For the next several summer semesters, Dr. Berliner is a visiting scholar in the Faculty of Education at SFU.

 

Last Updated November 14, 2007 FOE