When good ideas become bad policy: Implications of the National Voluntary Mathematics Test

This article addresses President Clinton's call for a National Voluntary Ma thematics Test (NVMT) in the eighth grade. First, we discuss the form and c ontent of the NVMT Our analysis suggests that several unanswered questions regarding the validity of the test devalue the information it can provide f or students, parents, and teachers. Second, we describe the consequences of implementing a national test of student performance. We contend that these consequences require additional policy initiatives designed to address the effects of test implementation. We conclude that the enactment of the NVMT as currently proposed is unwise.