"More than Measurable Human Products": Catholic Educators' Responses to the Educational Measurement Movement in the First Half of the 20th Century.

Abstract

During the first half of the 20th century, Catholic educators in the United States used theological arguments both to resist and embrace the progressive educational reform effort of educational measurement. The significant expansion of Catholic schooling and the increased number of students attending them, along with increased state oversight, led to a gradual, yet uneven, acceptance of educational measurement by Catholic educators. This partial and more critical acceptance can be attributed to the diversity of Catholic schooling and the incongruity between the assumptions of educational measurement and Catholic educational beliefs. This historical case offers support for continued critique of reform movements and at the same time cautions against wholesale rejection of them. Each reform requires scrutiny with the goal of determining which will assist schools in helping students reach their fullest potential.