Pass/Fail: An American History of Testing

This spring, millions of American high school stu…

An episode of the BackStory podcast, hosted by BackStory / Panoply, titled "Pass/Fail: An American History of Testing" was published on April 8, 2016 and runs 51 minutes.

April 8, 2016 ·51m · BackStory

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Summary

This spring, millions of American high school students are taking the newly redesigned SAT, which was first administered in 1926. It’s just one of many types of tests Americans have devised to measure and sort ourselves. In this episode, the Guys delve into the history of testing in America, from duels and religious tests in colonial New England to the development of the civil service exam in the wake of President James Garfield’s assassination in 1881 by a disgruntled job seeker. They’ll also look at the role of eugenics in the development of standardized tests for students, and corporate America’s fondness for the Myers-Briggs personality test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Description

This spring, millions of American high school students are taking the newly redesigned SAT, which was first administered in 1926. It’s just one of many types of tests Americans have devised to measure and sort ourselves. In this episode, the Guys delve into the history of testing in America, from duels and religious tests in colonial New England to the development of the civil service exam in the wake of President James Garfield’s assassination in 1881 by a disgruntled job seeker. They’ll also look at the role of eugenics in the development of standardized tests for students, and corporate America’s fondness for the Myers-Briggs personality test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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