The New York State English language arts and math assessments: Hearing the voices of suburban eighth graders

In this study, I examined how eighth graders in a small affluent suburban secondary school viewed the eighth grade New York State English language arts and math assessments. I asked students, most of whom expected to attend a four year college, how they viewed these tests and classroom practices related to the tests. The study provided information about the implications of testing, using students in a population that has not been a known focus of research on high-states testing. Using validated protocols from a study in Chicago public schools, I utilized in-depth interviews and student surveys with a stratified sample of eighth graders. The students were stratified by prior test scores, and three groups were created. One group was made up of students whose State and standardized test scores were consistently below proficiency, another of students whose scores declined over time, and the third of students whose test scores were consistently above proficiency. I found that not all middle class students in affluent communities were positively motivated by high-stakes tests or could improve their performance by accessing resources the school provided. In fact, I found a subgroup of students who consistently did not achieve proficiency, who felt stigmatized by receiving mandated remedial services, felt unprepared to pass the tests, and worried that they might be left back if they did not do well on the test. For these students, the District's implementation of the State testing policy resulted in a loss of self-esteem, and continued failure to achieve proficiency. The study raises the question of whether high-stakes testing policy can be assumed to be benign for students in middle class and affluent communities.