Making the Grades

In this alternately amusing and appalling exposé of the standardized test industry, fifteen-year veteran Todd Farley describes statisticians who make decisions about students without even looking at their test answers; state education officials willing to change the way tests are scored whenever they don’t like the results; and massive, multi-national, for-profit testing companies who regularly opt for expediency and profit over the altruistic educational goals of teaching and learning. Although there are absurd moments--as when Farley and coworkers had to grade students based on how they described the taste of their favorite food-- the enormous importance of standardized tests in the post “No Child Left Behind” era make this no laughing matter.

“This book is dynamite! The nice personal voice makes it utterly accessible and enticing, wholly apart from the terribly important ammunition it provides to those of us in the `testing wars’ at national and local levels.”—Jonathan Kozol, author of Savage InequitiesPreface
Acknowledgments

PART 1 WAGE SLAVE
Chapter 1. SCORING MONKEY
Chapter 2. NUMBERS
Chapter 3. THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF
Chapter 4. OFF TASK

PART 2 MANAGEMENT
Chapter 5. TABLE LEADER
Chapter 6. THE ORACLE OF PRINCETON
Chapter 7. THE KING OF SCORING
Chapter 8. A REAL JOB

PART 3 RETIREMENT
Chapter 9. MY OWN PRIVATE HALLIBURTON
Chapter 10. WORKING IN THEORY
Chapter 11. WARM BODIES
Epilogue
Index
About the AuthorFor fifteen years, Todd Farley worked for renowned companies on some of the most important standardized tests in America. During that time, he wrote and scored tests in math, reading, science, social studies, history, writing, health, and the arts. Since leaving the industry, he has contributed articles to Education Week, Rethinking Schools, and other publications. He lives in New York City.