Making the Grades

October 15, 2009
Farley worked in several different positions for two different standardized testing companies and details his rise from lowly grad student toiling away for low wages and no benefits in his first scoring job to being a highly paid independent consultant to the testing industry, all in a casual, humorous style, poking fun at himself as well as the process. In particular, he focuses on test scorers, hired because the tests' open-ended questions cannot be scored by computer. The bulk of the book is a disturbing glimpse into an industry that has a huge impact on the lives of K-12 students across the United States. However, Farley's assertion that he is the "sworn enemy" of standardized testing smacks of the righteousness of the recently converted (he was acting as a consultant in the industry as recently as 2007). VERDICT Of interest to those looking to fuel their opposition to the No Child Left Behind act, which relies upon standardized test scores as its measure of success for schools to gain federal funds, and to anyone wanting a detailed account of this country's standardized test scoring process.Sara Holder, McGill Univ. Lib., Montreal

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