Standardized tests: what are they good for?

• In Event: Sociology of Education Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 14. Contemporary Dilemmas in K-12

Abstract

Standardized testing remains a contentious issue around the globe, where there are ongoing debates regarding its usefulness for predicting long-term outcomes. This study investigates the relationship between early standardized test scores and future earnings by drawing on novel data linkages between Ontario Ministry of Education records and Statistics Canada’s Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP). Specifically, we analyze how performance on Ontario’s Grade 6 Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) standardized assessment is linked to the future income of post-secondary (university and college) graduates. Our findings reveal that performance on the Grade 6 math test corresponds with a substantial earnings premium, when comparing the top performing quartile with the bottom quartile, two years after post-secondary graduation. A significant portion of this wage gap persists even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and postsecondary field of study. The implications of these findings with respect to ongoing policy debates surrounding standardized testing are discussed.

Authors

• Addison David Kornel, University of Guelph

• Nida Ansari

• David Zarifa, Nipissing University

• David Michael Walters, University of Guelph

• Roger Pizarro Milian, University of Toronto