Standardized Tests

Standardized tests and their place in education seems to be a regular feature in the news cycle and as subject matter for bestsellers. Here are just a few headlines and titles:

“The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the schools”

“The Uses and Limitations of Standardized Tests in Meeting the Demands of Accountability”

“The Standard Test: To Be or Not to Be”

“Testing in a Democracy”

“Standardized Test Scores: Voodoo Statistics”

Perhaps even more interesting than the headlines are the dates they were published: 2000, 1971, 1975, 1985, and 1988 respectively. It is hard to believe that we have been debating the merits and uses of standardized testing for over 40 years. At Christ the King, we use the Iowa Assessments which are norm-referenced tests. This means we receive results about how our students’ skills compare to other students across the nation on a test of similar standards.

It is easy to oversimplify the results of the test and look solely at numbers. It is important to remember that each test represents one moment in a child’s education on one day. Rather than looking solely at the cumulative scores, it is more helpful to look at student results over time to measure growth, and scores on skill subsets to determine strengths and weaknesses.

Each of our teachers performs an analysis of these areas for each student in their class. This helps teachers plan for future instruction. For example, if after analysis, a teacher found that many of her students performed below the national average on computing with fractions, this would point towards a need for professional development to help learn how to better teach this skill.

Teachers also share the analysis with the next grade level teachers, so those teachers can plan instruction to target specific skills. It can also help teachers know which skills students have mastered, allowing for the pace of instruction to move quickly through concepts students already grasp. When used in this way, test scores no longer become numbers that define our students. Instead, they become numbers that help teachers outline their instruction.

For more detailed information, please join Mrs. Metz and me this Thursday, 5/13, at 2 pm or 6 pm in the cafeteria. Also, please take a minute to provide me some feedback about what you would like to know about standardized tests.