Teacher testing and implications for physical education

There has been a dramatic increase in teacher testing in the last decade. State and national attention to this issue is evidenced by the amount of literature devoted to assessment in general and teacher testing in particular. An invitational conference was held last fall by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to provide a forum for clarifying issues regarding uses of standardized tests in American education in general and teacher testing in particular. Flippo (1986) outlined how all but six states in the nation are presently involved in planning, designing, or implementing some form of teacher testing. Darling-Hammond (1986) predicts that almost all states will have teacher testing by the early 1990s. Haney and Madaus (1989) reported that the volume of standardized testing of teachers and students increased 10 to 20% in the last 40 years. Organizations supporting some type of teacher testing include the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Holmes Group, the Carnegie Foundation, and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The major purposes of this article are to outline the history of teacher testing in this county, describe current trends and alternatives to traditional forms of teacher assessment, and draw some implications for physical education teacher education.