Standardized Tests, part 1

Hello everyone,

I was afraid that, using the CST as a jumping off point for a discussion of standards, I would end up in a discussion of the CST (and other standardized tests). Still, it's a fact of the profession, and it's worth dealing with.

Before getting into it, though, I want to emphasize that my intention was to establish the idea that the standards the state sets for our students aren't really high ideals, but should be norms, and our students can be helped to understand and achieve them. By all means, use the test as a tool to help establish high standards.

Having said that, let's leap into a discussion of standardized tests.

My responses to teacher comments are in CAPS below.

Mostly, the California Standards Tests seem to be a waste of time.

FROM A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY ARE. (MY ADVICE YESTERDAY WAS INTENDED TO SHOW HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF A DIFFICULT SITUATION.) FROM A PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY AREN'T. I HAVE NO GOOD EXPLANATION FOR MY MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER. I HATE TAKING CLASS TIME TO ADMINISTER THEM TO MY STUDENTS. I LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING THE RESULTS FOR MY OWN CHILDREN AND THE SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT THEY ATTENDED.

WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE, I SUPPOSE, THAT THE PARENTS ARE OUR EMPLOYERS, AND THEY HAVE EMPOWERED THE LEGISLATURE TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM.

I even saw a number of students making patterns as they bubbled-in their scantrons.

I KEEP THINKING WE GRADUATE THOSE KIDS, AND THEY MOVE ON TO MAKE PATTERNS IN COLLEGE ADMISSION TESTS, BUT THEY KEEP CROPPING UP IN EVERY FRESHMAN CLASS. THE REALLY INTERESTING ONES ARE THOSE WHO MANAGE TO CHOOSE A PATTERN THAT MISSES THE PROBABILITY RATE OF 20-25% CORRECT IN MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS OF FOUR OR FIVE ANSWERS.

THIS APPARENT FEELING AMONG STUDENTS THAT MAKING PATTERNS RATHER THAN ANSWERS IS GOOD MAKES ONE ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF "LOOPING." ("LOOPING" HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET THE SAME STUDENTS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS.) WHEN I TAUGHT IN THE MAGNET, MY STUDENTS LOOPED TO ME FOR THREE YEARS CONSECUTIVELY. I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE STUDENTS THAT WERE MAKING PATTERNS AND WORK WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY. IF THEY WERE MAKING PATTERNS AS A MATTER OF PROTEST, AND I COULDN'T PERSUADE THEM THAT THE TEST WAS IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE--IF NOT TO THEM-- I LET THEM CONTINUE THE PROTEST (THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ONE CAN DO IN THAT CASE UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM). IF THEY WERE MAKING THE PATTERNS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE TEST, THEN WE WERE ABLE TO WORK ON WHATEVER THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. I WAS REALLY ABLE TO USE THE TEST SCORES, AND I KNEW THE STUDENTS WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW IF THE SCORES WERE VALID OR NOT.

If the students to not want to take the tests then, why do we make them?

ONCE AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO OUR TRUE EMPLOYERS, THE PARENTS. PARENTS ELECT THE LEGISLATURE WHICH MANDATES THE TEST. MR. HUECK, THE TESTING COORDINATOR, IS BETTER ABLE TO ADDRESS THE PROCESS OF OPTING OUT THAN I AM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S POSSIBLE IF THE PARENTS WANT IT.

The outcome can not accurately reflect what these students know because (after years of testing) most students realize that these tests have absolutely no impact on their grades... there are no consequences if they fail.

I ALLUDED TO THIS PROBLEM YESTERDAY. ACROSS THE STATE, THERE IS A NOTICEABLE PATTERN OF DROPPING TEST SCORES AT THE SECONDARY (ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL) LEVEL. FEW PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS A SUDDEN DROP OFF IN THE QUALITY OF TEACHING IN THE SECONDARY LEVEL (I ONLY ASSUME THAT THERE MUST BE SOME WHO BELIEVE THAT; I'VE NEVER MET ANYONE). IT IS WIDELY UNDERSTOOD THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE TEST AFFECT THE OUTCOME. THAT'S WHY SO MANY HIGH SCHOOLS TRY (WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS) TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME WITH VARIOUS METHODS OF ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.

HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS (MORE THAN 50%--MAYBE MORE THAN 75%) TAKE THE TESTS SERIOUSLY. IN MY CLASSES, THE STUDENTS THAT MADE PATTERNS WERE USUALLY THE STUDENTS WITH THE LEAST UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING, AND THE PATTERNS ACCURATELY EMPHASIZED (NOTICE I DIDN'T SAY "MEASURED") THEIR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.

I think that Berkeley High School gives its students the option to opt out of testing. The result is that the higher achieving students all end up taking the tests. The cumulative results of their tests are self-evident. Palo Alto High does the same thing. These two public schools are number 1 and number 2 in the entire state for testing results. Berkeley High is an inner-city school. Of course, they are both heavily influenced by the universities (Stanford and Cal) as well.

I THOUGHT SAN MARINO AND PACIFIC PALISADES WERE NUMBERS 1 AND 2. MAYBE THE DIVISION IS NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; PROBABLY MY INFORMATION IS A FEW YEARS OLD (I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED AS CAREFULLY SINCE MY OWN KIDS GRADUATED FROM A SCHOOL THAT WAS ALWAYS HAPPY TO BEAT UP SAN MARINO IN FOOTBALL, IF NOT IN API).

I DOUBT IF ALLOWING STUDENTS TO OPT OUT HAS SUCH A HIGH INFLUENCE ON THE TEST SCORES. (I'M NOT DENYING AN INFLUENCE, I JUST DOUBT THAT IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INFLUENCE IN MAKING THEM 1 AND 2.) I THINK THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS THAT BUILD A STRONG BASE OF SUPPORT FOR HIGH TEST SCORES, AND ALLOWING FOR STUDENTS TO OPT OUT JUST ADDS A THICK COAT OF ICING ON THE WHOLE CAKE.

THE QUESTION FOR US IS HOW TO MAKE THE STUDENTS FEEL MOTIVATED TO TRY (WHICH WOULD RAISE OUR TEST SCORES SOME). THE BEST IDEA, I THINK, IS TO FIRST, ESTABLISH HIGH STANDARDS IN THE CLASSROOM, THEN WORK TO ACHIEVE THOSE STANDARDS. SECOND, DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH THE STUDENTS TRUST US. THIS MAY INCLUDE A WHOLE HOST OF THE SORTS OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT BUILD WHAT WE USED TO CALL "SCHOOL SPIRIT." THIRD, TEACH OUR STUDENTS THAT SOMETIMES WE MUST DO WELL AT SOMETHING WE DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE--SUCH AS STANDARDIZED TESTS. FOURTH, HELP PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE TESTS AND TO USE THEM IN THE HOME TO EVALUATE THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.

Why can't we give our students an option to opt out?

ALL SCHOOLS CAN ALLOW STUDENTS TO OPT OUT. HOWEVER, IF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING THE TEST DROPS BELOW A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL POPULATION, THEN THE ENTIRE SCHOOL RANKING IS INVALIDATED. EVEN IF PALO ALTO AND BERKELEY ALLOW FEWER STUDENTS TO TAKE THE TEST, THEY STILL MUST HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR POPULATION TAKING IT. (ISN'T THE PERCENTAGE 95%?) IF THEY DON'T, THEN THEY INVALIDATE THEIR SCORE.

THE STAKES ARE PRETTY HIGH. CHEATING ON THE TESTS OR MANIPULATING THE SCORES CAN GET A GUY FIRED PRETTY QUICK. FAILING TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS CAN AFFECT FUNDING. WE HATE IT, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT.

Jeff Combe