Ce. Hartmann et Gl. Fisher, When good ideas become bad policy: Implications of the National Voluntary Mathematics Test, EDUC POLICY, 13(3), 1999, pp. 371-385
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.