Standardized tests may appear at colleges

As the U.S. Department of Education considers higher education reforms to increase accountability and measure student performance, many universities, including Princeton, have voiced concern.

The reforms, which might include standardized testing for college students, were presented last fall as part of a comprehensive plan to improve U.S. colleges and universities and have faced widespread criticism from colleges and universities.

"I am opposed to standardized tests for undergraduates as a way to assess effectiveness," President Tilghman said in an email. "One of the great strengths of U.S. higher education is its diversity. There are thousands of institutions of higher learning, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, each with its own philosophy of education. It would be virtually impossible to imagine a test that would be able to measure outcomes in such different universities and colleges."

But a report released last fall by the Commission on the Future of Higher Education that urged for the development of a comprehensive reform plan for America's colleges and universities.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who requested the report, said in a statement in the fall that "there is an urgent need for change in America's higher education system." The Department of Education, she said, "can't answer the most critical and basic questions about student performance and learning at colleges and that's unacceptable."

Spellings said reforms like standardized tests could help colleges make decisions on policy and become more accountable for quality.

The subject of standardized testing in college received widespread attention last month when Texas Governor Rick Perry announced an educational reform plan that included testing all seniors at public universities in their various degree areas before graduation. While a poor score wouldn't keep a student from graduating, it would affect the funding colleges received.

The diversity in higher education institutions that President Tilghman mentioned in her email has led accreditation agencies across the country to fight efforts to install these new measures, especially standardized testing.

"While there's been a lot of effort put into looking at how we can best access what students are learning, the truth of the matter is the technology is not there to give us the information people want," said Barbara Brittingham, director of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. "The diversity of institutions means it's going to be probably impossible to come up with a single measure that's a fair representation at the institutional level."

Private institutions, such as Princeton, would not be affected by rulings from the educational agencies in the various states. But they could be coerced to comply with federal regulations.

"For private schools, mandating would be tied to Federal financial aid," Brittingham said. She testified before the Spellings Commission on two occasions in 2005 and 2006. "Institutions that participate in federal financial aid, and virtually all of them do, have a participation agreement that requires them to do other things. The administration of such a test could be part of their participation agreement."

Tilghman acknowledged that such a scenario is possible, but said she prefers letting the system run on its own.

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"I hope it does not come to that, as I think that market forces actually work reasonably well in most of higher education," she said. "Students vote with their feet as to the college or university that will provide them with the education they seek."

Associate Dean of the College Peter Quimby was quick to point out that it is unclear what route the Department of Education will take.

"It's too soon for us to know which, if any, of the Commission's recommendations will be enacted, and if so, how," Quimby said. "It is not clear that the [Department of Education] considers standardized testing to be the only acceptable means for measuring student learning or holding institutions accountable for quality. These details are in the process of being worked out in Washington right now, and we are watching carefully to see how these conversations progress."

Quimby said that while a standardized measurement may not be best, officials in Washington are correct in their desire to improve postsecondary education for all students.

"While we do not believe that there is a one-size-fits-all way to measure the quality of education across the diverse range of institutions represented in American higher education today, the [Department of Education] is right to be thinking about what we can do as a country to ensure that all institutions are thinking carefully about how to do the best job they can of educating their students," Quimby said.

Tilghman said she also supports the Commission's efforts to provide more information to students and families searching for colleges.

"One area where I agree with the Commission is the need for more transparency in things like graduation rates and employment outcomes," she said. "That would allow the market to work most efficiently."

Brittingham echoed their sentiments, saying that as college tuition fees continue to rise, it is important to ensure that students are getting their money's worth.

"They do have a general point to make, which is we all have to be better at being able to say, 'What do students gain from education at a particular institution?' " she said. "That's an important question, because [college] is an investment of your time, money and hopes. It's important to know what you're getting."