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Colin asked me a very thoughtful question about standardized testing, and I really owe him a detailed answer. If you care about such stuff, stick around. I won't be offended if you bail. Yesterday's entry made it sound like I hate standardized testing. I don't; I just have major issues with the SOL tests. I've been teaching for fifteen years. In that time, I've given SRA tests, DATs, SAT 9 tests, and the CAT reading test. All of these were developed a while ago, and they're pretty reliable as measures of achievement, provided that the kids take them seriously and really try. The SAT 9 especially has been very useful for me, as it does a nice job of pinpointing strengths and weaknesses. I review all of my kids' scores from the 6th grade SAT 9 tests in August, when I get my class rosters for the fall. I also look at their previous grades, to get an idea of what I need to do for each kid. (I have 110 kids a year, so this takes a while.) Virginia's SOL tests, on the other hand, have lots of problems. They were rushed into production very quickly, with little teacher or parent input. They are extremely expensive for the state, and they don't really measure what they claim to measure. (Remember, I know the kids pretty well by May, and I've seen their grades and SAT 9 scores.) Here's what I would do: *Set up a much more specific (and measurable) set of standards than the SOLs. Ever read Cultural Literacy? Like that. *Involve teachers and parents in the test creation process, so they feel invested in the program, rather than viewing it as something forced upon them. *Edit the tests thoroughly for errors! The SOL tests are riddled with mistakes, many of them rather blatant. *Make them timed tests, maybe two hours long. The SOLs are untimed, which wreaks utter havoc with our schedule, and gives a pretty unrealistic view of how kids actually work. Some tests, like SRAs, don't count the parts that don't get finished. The scores are based on the completed questions. *Require kids to pass core subject tests before proceeding to high school. Right now, there aren't really consequences for failing any SOLs until 11th grade, when they are required for graduation. The kids don't take them very seriously. If you're curious, and you want to see what exactly I keep fussing about, go to: www.pen.k12.va.us The SOLs are there, along with released tests you can try for yourself, and information on how the writing tests are scored (under NCS Mentor.) I promise I'll stop talking shop now! |
 
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Testing and Me