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10 March 2005: Pop Quiz (2 of 5)
Here are the answers to yesterday's pop quiz. When you've finished grading your quiz, don't forget to reflect on the importance of this information.
1) In the 1952 election, which state did Adlai Stevenson win by the largest margin?
d. Georgia
2) In the 1960 election, which state did not cast its vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate?
d. Mississippi
3) In the 1952 election, what fact explains the pattern of states carried by Stevenson?
b. They were parts of the old Confederacy.
4) In the 1960 election, where did the Republicans show the most strength?
a. the West
5) In the 1952 election, Stevenson carried about what percentage of the 48 states?
b. about 20%
6) How much did the popular vote change in the state of Montana change[sic] from 1952 to 1960?
c. 8%
7) In the 1960 election, which state did not have a very close vote?
d. Iowa
8) How much did the popular vote change in Minnesota from the 1952 to the 1960 election?
a. 4%
First of all, I'd like to publicly admit that I didn't get a single one of these right. Just playing the odds, I should have gotten 1/5 of them correct, but apparently my guessing is even worse than chance alone.
Second of all, I want to be sure to say that I'm not going to criticize the teacher that administered this test. I don't know them or what it's like to sit in their classroom. The only thing I know for sure is that what teachers are supposed to teach is different from what the students are tested on. This test is a perfect example of this phenomenon, which I will refer to as the assessment discrepancy.
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