The Impact of Statewide Exit Exams: A Descriptive Case Study of Three German States with Differing Low Stakes Exam Regimes

Autor/inn/en	van Ackeren, Isabell; Block, Rainer; Klein, E. Dominique; Kuhn, Svenja M.
Titel	The Impact of Statewide Exit Exams: A Descriptive Case Study of Three German States with Differing Low Stakes Exam Regimes
Quelle	In: Education Policy Analysis Archives, 20 (2012) 8, (32 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1068-2341
Schlagwörter	Testing; Academic Achievement; Exit Examinations; Program Effectiveness; Grading; Case Studies; Foreign Countries; College Preparation; Program Evaluation; Administrative Organization; Change Strategies; Academic Standards; State Standards; Alignment (Education); Educational Policy; Policy Analysis; Program Administration; Test Format; Student Surveys; Teacher Surveys; Delivery Systems; Evaluation Criteria; Evaluation Methods; Educational Assessment; Educational Indicators + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Testdurchführung; Testen; Schulleistung; Final examination; Abschlussprüfung; Notengebung; Schulnote; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Ausland; Programme evaluation; Programmevaluation; Lösungsstrategie; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Politikfeldanalyse; Testentwicklung; Schülerbefragung; Auslieferung; Education; assessment; Bewertungssystem; Educational indicato; Bildungsindikator
Abstract	In this article we present results from a study investigating the impact of three state exit exam systems on teaching and learning in college-preparatory schools. The study compares one state with a traditionally more centralized exam regime, one state that is more de-centralized and one state that has recently switched to more centralized testing. The German Abitur is a cognitively rather complex exam that is largely unstandardized as measured by the standards of international testing regimes. Moreover, performance differences in system monitoring tests between states with different exam regimes can only be found for mathematical literacy. Therefore, centrally regulated topics and grading criteria--as opposed to exams that are locally designed and reviewed centrally--make little difference in softer subjects with a more open canon, but seem to have a stronger impact in mathematics. Against this background and taking an international perspective, we argue that an overall low stakes testing regime might be the first step towards a good compromise between local flexibility for students' interests on one hand, and rigor as well as a healthy dose of performance motivation on the other hand. (Contains 1 figure, 7 tables, and 7 footnotes.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Colleges of Education at Arizona State University and the University of South Florida. c/o Editor, USF EDU162, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5650. Tel: 813-974-3400; Fax: 813-974-3826; Web site: http://epaa.asu.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10