Dr Ian Cantley has published a new book which uses philosophical analysis to argue that there are tensions associated with using the results of high stakes tests to predict students’ future potential. The implications of these issues for the interpretation of test scores in general are then analysed and expanded upon before their connotations for academic selection are considered. 

The Philosophical Limitations of Educational Assessment: Implications for Academic Selection offers a brief overview of the history of academic selection in the United Kingdom, and a review of evidence relating to its consequences. The book argues that the practice of using the results of contemporary high stakes tests to make important decisions about students involves logical and moral dilemmas that a conscientious educator cannot ignore. Furthermore, it is suggested that the nature of the moral dilemmas depends on the purpose and significance of the test. In the case of high stakes tests used for academic selection purposes, the book argues that, not only can the moral wrong be highly significant, but better solutions are within reach. 

The Philosophical Limitations of Educational Assessment: Implications for Academic Selection (from Palgrave Macmillan) has received positive peer reviews, including one from Professor Alex Lautensach, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada: 

“The book presents a convincing argument that high-stakes academic testing measures the wrong attributes and, on the whole, does more harm than good, especially in the context of academic selection. It places the onus on educators and on wider society to come up with better alternatives. The book is well researched, concise, to the point and extremely relevant to educators, caregivers, and school system administrators everywhere.”