STANDARDIZED TESTING

STANDARDIZED TESTINGMuncie Community Schools

https://www.facebook.com/WhiteHouse/videos/10153858451374238//

Cassandra Shipp () - Please note I am looking at this with a critical. What is the purpose of using President Obama picture? What message will that send? Do you think a picture of a student stress would be better.TESTS GIVENState AssessmentsLocal AssessmentsISTEP+mClass Reading & MathISTARInView (given for identification of ELP)ECAAcuity (4 times per year)IREADStar Reading (3 times per year)AccuplacerStar Math (3 times per year)WIDAPSATAdvanced Placement ExamsACT / SAT (voluntary HS for college entrance)

Approximate cost of $182,000 at the local level to ensure student mastery

TIME LOST TO TESTINGTestTime TakenISTEP / IREAD558 Minutes 3rd GradeISTEP556 Minutes 4th GradeISTEP 10576 Minutes High School (10th Grade)ECA (English 10 & Algebra 1) phasing out180 Minutes High School

Testing takes significant administrative and staff time for preparation and reporting

Council of Great City Schools (2015)

Council of Great City Schools (2015)

UTILITYMost state mandated testing provides little useful feedbackDue to the high stakes nature of the testing; most schools feel it is necessary to give additional predictive and formative assessment to prepare students appropriately

Cassandra Shipp () - I would bullet the points.Are you going to make reference to what information is on the feedback and the timeline information comes back to schools?

Where you have "most schools", are you referring to Indiana? A central Indiana, Northern Indiana or Delaware County schools?

Add periods at end of sentences.REALITYFederally and State mandated testing tends to require two to three times the testing mandate

The high stakes nature of these tests for educators causes burnout, stress and sometimes cheating

Students have little interest or motivation to take these tests seriously particularly at the middle school and high school levels (ECAs are an exception, to some extent)

Negative impact on vocational program options and other non-traditional internships, etc.

Cassandra Shipp () - Add periods.

Is there any positive outcomes for testing. You might want to balance it. You don't want to come across too negative.

The third bullet might be an issue because high school students must pass the test to earn a high school diploma without requesting a waiver.

Curious of how the state test impacts vocational in a negative way.WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF HIGH STAKES TESTINGHigh stakes testing has become the focus of the curriculum in our school system. Everything we do is geared toward passing a test that measures someone's idea about what children should be able to do at this point in the school year. I am a 4th grade teacher and feel the pressure of preparing my students for this test and have eliminated teaching some things if it isn't covered on the test. :-(MCS Teacher

Cassandra Shipp () - Flip side to think about: In life ,you have to pass some form of assessment to demonstrate your skill set or mastery. (written or verbal)Many electives are being squeezed out of the student schedules. A student may have to take an Algebra lab or English lab class to prepare for the required testing. So they may not be able to take a world language, computer class, go to the Muncie Area Career Center half a day, choir and band...and the list goes on and on.MCS Teacher

Cassandra Shipp () - First sentence my cause a question about foreign languages.

The goal of the lab classes to close the skill gaps of students in order to passed the required state assessment to earn a high school diploma.

If not supports are put in place to close the gap, then public schools will be a target for not teaching students and ensuring they have mastered the skills.

The curriculum has been modified to incorporate quite a bit of "test prep" time. There is a lot of material crammed into the first 2/3 of the year in order to get it all in before testing begins. Science and Social Studies often get pushed aside and there is little to no time for extended units on interesting and important themes.MCS Teacher

IMPACT ON STUDENTSTesting generates anxiety, frustration, absenteeism and BOREDOM!They have test anxiety for sure. Students with test anxiety will be absent so they can take the test as a makeup in a much less stressful environment.Students feel a sense of dread having to take such a long test on multiple days. They worry that this test may keep them from passing onto the next. grade. They feel anxious. Some students cry during testing if they are not able to answer all parts of a question.Comments from Survey of MCS Staff

Cassandra Shipp () - Will you make a reference of how the information was obtain?As a mother that has had her first child take the Istep test, it gives great test anxiety. My child has a learning disability (hearing loss) and it makes him very frustrated. Seeing the student at school {being a staff member} I see the stress and the anxiety the children are dealing with.MCS Staff Member

EFFECTIVE SYSTEMNeed an actual growth model testTakes each student where they are and measure their individual growth.The recently adopted IDOE growth table is significantly biased and assumes more than 1/3 of students will not be able to achieve expected growth.

Need a limit on the amount of testingState mandated testing must give immediate useful feedback or be eliminated.

Tests needs to be used in conjunction with other indicators to determine a school or corporations actual performance.

Students need to have a horse in the testing race.

ESSA does allow for optional local control

Cassandra Shipp () - add periodsWHAT COULD WORKAny effective system needs to consider:

Social and family factors in grading or comparing schools along with special needs students

Look at growth over time of each student measured against themselves; not normedNormed tests or normed growth rates create winners and losers

If we must have mandatory testing:

Tests must provide stable and reliable feedback in a timely manner so instruction can be impacted (NWEAs MAP is a positive example)

High school level exams should be useful to the students as well (ACT & SAT are examples). Feedback from these exams takes too long

Tests should be adaptive as they cause less stress and allow for more accurate assessment of each individual

Cassandra Shipp () - Things to think about:Economic status has nothing to due with the expectations in the classrooms.

The issues: Who are the individuals designing the test and for what purpose. Are women and people of color designing test? Are test questions written from one cultural perspective that does not considerate the other cultural experiences of others and females.

Thoughts:So, if schools have the immediate feedback how will that be used and how is the feedback different from teacher assessments?SOME NEWSWORTHY ITEMSAlaska canceled all standardized testing this year http://www.kcaw.org/2016/04/04/state-calls-off-student-testing/

Council of Great City Schools found students take an average of 112 mandated exams prior to high school graduation http://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity/Domain/4/Testing%20Report.pdf

Problem with standardized tests no one talks about https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/1

Inaccurate scoring of the ISTEP http://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/in/2016/01/19/istep-rescore-plans-reduced-after-lawmakers-consider-high-costs-expert-advice/#.VxY9AfkrKUk

SOME RESOURCESStudent Testing in Americas Great City Schools: An Inventory and Preliminary Analysis http://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity/Domain/87/Testing%20Report.pdf

Impact of Standardized Testing (1991) Herman and Golan https://www.cse.ucla.edu/products/reports/Tech334.pdf

Adverse Impact of Standardized Testing on Minority Students (2001) http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED450183

Video: Kids with severe disabilities taking mandatory standardized test(video is disturbing) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/12/video-kids-with-severe-disabilities-taking-mandatory-standardized-test/ (Washington Post article)

Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing http://teaching.about.com/od/assess/a/Standardized-Testing.htm