About Motivation, Achievement, and Testing

Traditional grading systems, an emphasis on competition, rewards, praise as a means of motivating students, and standardized achievement tests are so deeply ingrained in American education that it can be hard to imagine schools without them. Yet the evidence from research suggests that these practices are major obstacles in efforts to raise curriculum standards and to help all children benefit from them.

This collection of ten articles summarizes and interprets recent findings on the complex and interrelated issues of motivation, achievement, and testing. Parents, educators, and policymakers should find them both fascinating and useful as they grapple with questions that are anything but standardized and for which there are clearly no simple "right answers."

The HEL Focus Series brings together concise and carefully researched articles on current issues in education. Each collection provides educators, administrators, policymakers, and parents with a balanced look at research and practice in a specific area.

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Table of Contents for Motivation, Achievement, and Testing

Letting Talent Flow: How Schools Can Promote Learning for the Sheer Love of It
by Edward Miller

The Case Against Rewards and Praise: A Conversation with Alfie Kohn
by Sara-Ellen Amster

When Bright Kids Get Bad Grades
by Adria Steinberg

Why Kids Give Up on School—And What Teachers Can Do About It
by Adria Steinberg

Kids Know What Teachers Expect
by Adria Steinberg

I Won't Learn from You: A Conversation with Herb Kohl
by Adria Steinberg

Testing: Is There a Right Answer?
by Adria Steinberg and Roberta Tovey

Expecting to Fail: The Impact of Minimum Competency Tests

Alternatives to Standardized Testing: A Conversation with Howard Gardner
by Adria Steinberg

Hank's Wonderful Idea: A Story from the Fifth Grade
by Eleanor Duckworth

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Publishing information

Professional Development
Edited by Edward Miller and Roberta Tovey
HEL Focus Series No. 2
© 1996
ISBN 1-883433-03-7 $14.95 SALE PRICE: $4.95 paperback, ORDER
24 page report

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