The Testing Trap: How State Writing Assessments Control Learning

Language and Literacy

by George Hillocks

Do statewide assessments really do what they are supposed to do? Through interviews with over 300 teachers and administrators, Hillocks examines whether state writing tests in Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, New York, and Texas actually improve students’ ability to express their thinking in writing. Ultimately, Hillocks argues that the majority of existing tests actually have a harmful effect on the way students are taught to write. In addition to providing analyses of assessments that do not encourage good writing, The Testing Trap contrasts them with those that do. Concluding with practical procedures for examining and evaluating writing assessments, this book is a provocative and essential read for administrators, teachers, policymakers, parents, and all who care about the education of our children. "A must read for policymakers and educators nationwide. Hillocks provides guidance for more thoughtful ways of approaching testing and school improvement in the coming century. This book is brilliant."
― Sarah Warshauer Freedman , Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley
"Hillocks has written an excellent book that demystifies the complexities involved in the testing of writing. The Testing Trap is essential reading for administrators, teachers, and parents."
―Richard Sterling , Executive Director, National Writing Project

Genres: Education, Teaching

Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Erin Stuhlsatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Hillocks analyzes the writing assessments in five different states: Illinois, Texas, New York, Oregon, and Kentucky. For each state, he examines the actual writing test--requirements, prompts, rubrics, and example papers--then he interviews teachers and administrators to get their responses to the tests. It's actually like science!

This is far and away the most rigorous education book I've read. It reads like science, which makes it a bit slower, but there's significantly less rhetoric and emotion than I usually see. It's a very narrow focus: the quality of writing assessments and their effects on teaching in the five states examined.

Some interesting parts: Illinois and Texas had exams that were very formulaic, and that was reflected in the teaching. Kids in high schools were taught the five paragraph essay at the expense of all other kinds of writing. Freshmen English professors at Illinois state colleges bemoaned the fact. New York and Oregon had more broad requirements for kinds of writing, which allowed students to write more detailed and realistic assignments. In Kentucky, the writing assessments aren't a standardized test; instead, the students create a portfolio of works from their classes, English and otherwise. While it's probably harder to grade, this kind of assessment is much more helpful for students--they get to use writing with practical applications, and their teachers aren't forced to focus on standard formulae for writing assignments.

[Christine Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so this book was for my Assessment class at Bridgewater State, but it explains why I haven’t been reading as much, doesn’t it? This author set about interviewing 300 teachers across 5 states, New York, Illinois, Texas, Oregon and Kentucky, to ask them about their high stakes tests and how they have impacted what is being taught in the classroom. His negative opinion on the “blether” being produced in today’s large scale writing assessments pervades his work.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Packed with information about writing assessments, analyzing both the tests themselves and teacher's responses to the text, but written for a more academic audience. Also, since the book is about 10 years old, it's not clear how the tests have changed over that time.

[RRVWP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hillocks deftly challenges state testing by looking at particular states and the assessments they use.