High Stakes Testing


A MiddleWeb Listserv conversation

After several queries to the list, Maggie Hagan stirred up a conversation about high-stakes testing and the reasonableness of state accountability systems:


I posed this question earlier but received no response. How is high- stakes testing or your state mandated testing impacting your curriculum and your students' learning?

Maggie Hagan
5th grade middle school teacher
Ohio

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The testing expectations for KY have changed the classroom. Our classes use writing to assess all subjects and students are expected to be able to demonstrate their understanding through performance tasks as well. Many schools have experienced success with the new reform, while some seem to have 'leveled off' and hold their ground. There does seem to be a problem with the science testing at the 7th grade level... the test, in the past, has not matched the curriculum very well and teachers are at a loss. They express that the curriculum tested needs to be better defined. Overall, the new testing has changed our expectations and our teaching in a positive way.

Teachers think through their curricular decisions, write rubrics for students, and model excellence for students.

Greta Heady
Louisville

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOLKS...

one of our first listserv "guests" will be Anne Wheelock, who has been active in challenging the high-stakes test in Massachusetts. Anne is also author of "Crossing the Tracks" (about detracking schools) and "Safe to Be Smart" (about creating schools where standards-based teaching is classroom-based and helps all kids). Anne's position (as I understand it) is that assessment and accountability needs to reside in classrooms and schools and not be dictated from statehouses. It should be an interesting chat. You can see some of her writing at:

http://www.middleweb.com/Whlckstand.html

John Norton

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maggie Hagan posed a question about how high-stakes testing is impacting curriculum and students' learning in our schools. My state (Alabama) requires that the Stanford Achievement Test be given to every student in grades 1-10 every year. That norm-referenced test is the only measure of accountability we have, and schools literally "live or die" by the results which are posted in the Spring.

When we first started this somewhat bewildering use of standardized testing, I became a "Special Services Teacher" - one of those folks who the State DOE hires to try to help low-achieving schools (as measured by The Test) become better. I discovered a couple of scary things about this use of testing.

(1) Rural schools that were doing wonderful things with children (interviewing elders in the community and making community newspapers, building solar houses, etc.) dropped those programs and began having students spend all their time in traditional classwork, which included practicing and drilling for The Test. You see, their scores weren't high enough.

(2) Since - in addition to strong sanctions imposed on low achieving schools - all schools' test scores are published in the paper, test mania took over a lot of high-achieving schools as well. Schools spend inordinate amounts of money buying test prep materials and valuable class time having kids practice taking tests. All lesson plan booklets had to incorporate the test objectives, even if they didn't fit the curriculum. (For example, 8th graders learned American History but the Standford tested them in World History. So - you guessed it. The teachers took time from the real curriculum to teach the world history test objectives. Last year the state changed the whole order of the social studies curriculum to accomodate the Standford test objectives.)

In short - I'm pretty much aghast at the misuse of a test that is deliberately designed so that only about half of the test-takers will correctly answer most items. The main idea of a norm referenced test is to rank - not to rate. These tests are designed to spread out the scores - not to gauge the quality of a given school.

Ed Weekly has a great commentary in the September 27 issue titled "Standardized Testing and Its Victims." It's a must read - wishfully - for legislators and DOE folks.

Anne Jolly
Alabama

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here in Phila. we use the Stanford 9 and a test in reading, math and writing from the State, the PSSA. Each of these tests takes at least two full weeks of adjusted scheduling followed by make ups. This year we will begin to have District exams in major subjects...

Are you beginning to understand how much time gets spent just on testing? Now consider the training in test administration and preparation! Last year it felt like school ended in January and we were in "test mode" after that. School funding is linked partially to test scores, and now teacher salary increases may begin to be tied in as well.

In the midst of all this test mania, we are told not to teach to the test and that good teaching is and always will be good teaching. I have to say that I agree with these statements, but if you're teaching integrated science, where all strands are blended and the test comes along with most questions focusing on electricity...what do you do?

Another very sore point with me is the testing of Special Needs students at their age appropriate level as opposed to their demonstrated ability level. I have been assigned to administer grade 8 tests to kids who couldn't read for the past two years. It is brutal. I have had kids in tears as they try to make some sense of what they're trying to read. I am not permitted to read it to them. After a couple of days, attendance starts to fall off because the kids do get sick from the frustration and anxiety. The kids who come every day generally start to act out after a couple of days. Everyone is tense and sick at heart in this atmosphere.

I feel like we're trapped in the Dr. Seuss book, "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!" and we're never getting to the happy ending where our good teaching has paid off.

Deb Bambino
Philadelphia

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the topic of High Stakes testing, here in Northern VA, school systems have had test stress-reduction sessions for PARENTS. There have also been numerous cases of emotional breakdowns (illness, sobbing) in classes by students as young as 7 years old. All of this is related to the Standards of Learning (SOLs). Test success clogs teachers' dialogue to students from the very first day of classes and supercedes the concept of teaching the whole child.

Jeff Sherrill
NASSP

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree with Anne when we are discussing a norm-referenced test. Only half will do well. However, with a criterion-referenced test like we have in Kentucky, I see the high stakes accountability making a real difference in our classrooms.

Yes, it has made all of us take a hard look at curriculum issues, but has also sent home the message that we want kids who can apply the basic knowledge they are learning, who are thinkers and problem-solvers ready for the 21st Century. Another plus is that it gives us a measure for the general public. Frankly, I truly believe the public is tired of funneling money into education and seeing no results. Our "profit" must be student achievement progress, and if we can't show that, then we will probably be put out of the public school business shortly. Political talk already leans that way.

I enjoy the accountability that the criterion-reference test brings. Yes, some of the nay-sayers would argue that we are "teaching to the test," but my argument would be that we are teaching what kids should know and be able to do for the 21st Century. Accountability is good for all concerned.

Michelle Pedigo
Kentucky

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am writing in response to 2 emails.

Anne Jolly wrote - "I discovered a couple of scary things about this use of testing. (1) Rural schools that were doing wonderful things with children (interviewing elders in the community and making community newspapers, building solar houses, etc.) dropped those programs and began having students spend all their time in traditional classwork, which included practicing and drilling for The Test. You see, their scores weren't high enough."

The other was written by Anne Lewis on 10/3 (I think). It had to do with her "soapbox issue" about districts going to the source (that would be the students) to plan schools, curriculum, etc.

Both these emails elicited strong feelings from me about the need to bring about change. So I went and found the copy of Michael Fullan's book, Change Forces, The Sequel, which I had purchased but never finished reading.

I was drawn to Chapter 2, page 19, "Lesson 1: Moral Purpose Is Complex and Problematic." Fullen writes

"Moral purpose is complex because it involves altering the power structure, because it is exceedingly difficult to make the changes necessary to motivate and support scores of individual students and teachers, and because moral purpose not only includes academic achievement, but also must find ways of motivating alienated students and families."

I saw many of the topics from the listserve reflected in this passage.

Farther on the same page he comments, "With all the interest in accountability and academic achievement, good intentions can easily backfire."

I would hypothesize that the greater the emphasis on academic achievement through high stakes accountability, the greater the gap becomes between advantaged and disadvantaged students."

I think I'll keep reading this time.

Juli Kendall
Long Beach, CA

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Juli's comments, the listserve took a break from this topic for several weeks -- but returned to the issue when Deb Bambino posted this message:

Anne Wheelock sent me this article and I thought others on this list would be interested.

Massachusetts CARE (Coalition for Authentic Reform in Education) has recently released a report on high stakes testing and increasing dropout rates in Massachusetts. This is a joint project with FairTest. Report findings show that the most vulnerable students in the state are being left behind in the wake of a policy that links high school graduation to test scores. A review of the state's dropout data for the last four years shows that since the introduction of high stakes testing:

(1) More students are dropping out of Massachusetts high schools, with an increasingly large proportion coming from urban districts;

(2) Although African American and Latino students make up 17% of the state's high school population, a greater proportion of students who drop out are African American and Latino (now 40% compared to 34% three years ago);

(3) More students are dropping out in earlier grades, including the middle grades; and

(4) A lower percentage of dropouts are reenrolling in school.

These data clearly portray a picture of growing disparities in educational attainment in the context of high stakes testing.

The report also highlights research findings regarding high stakes testing and dropouts, includes data gathered from interviews with successful students who failed MCAS, identifies districts where holding power is weakest, highlights weaknesses in DOE dropout reporting, and makes recommendations.

Upcoming "MCAS Alerts" will provide additional information on the consequences of high stakes testing in Massachusetts. These "Alerts" will focus on grade retention, successful students who fail MCAS, and opportunity to learn.

The full report is posted on line at: http://www.fairtest.org/care/MCAS%20Alert%20Sept.html.

What tests does your District require? How much time is spent on testing and test taking skills? What's the morale like in your school around this issue? What impact is the testing craze having on your kids?

Deb Bambino
Phladelphia, PA

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deb's comments apparently lit a fire under CA principal Betsy Burch!


Good morning from a test-impacted state and middle school!

Very timely topic, Deb! My school and district are highly impacted by the California accountability movement. As I have mentioned, because of the low test scores of precisely the students referred to in the article you included, ie, low socioeconomic students, many of whom no longer qualify for Special education programs because the discrepancy between their ability and their achievement levels has been eliminated, our school is labeled "underperforming" and is required to take part in the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program.

The tests we are required to give to middle school students include the annual SAT-9. Our students must take the test at grade level, even if their English Language scores are in the lowest fluency category. If they are in either our Resource Specialist Program or our Learning Handicapped Special Day class, they are only allowed an untimed test and a test one year below their current grade level, (ie, 7th or 8th) NOT their reading level which might be 1st or 2nd grade. The state uses the percentage of waivers for special ed. students as one variable in determining the API or Academic Performance Index by which our schools are compared. If the percentage of waivers is too high, questions are raised about why.

Our current 9th graders who are scheduled to graduate in 2004 are the first students to be required to take the newly developed and still being field tested Highschool Exit Exam in CA. The exam will require, among other things, that ALL 8th graders will have completed Algebra 1. We still do not have a curriculum in place in our district in the middle schools for teaching this because it has been very difficult to find a curriculum to purchase which will work for all of our students at every ability level. We have been told that of the current 100 math items on the Exit Exam, 43 of them are algebra related questions! We are very worried about finding ways to make sure that all of our students become highschool graduates and avoid what is so clearly reported by the Mass. study.

I question whether this is a movement forward or backward in our educational system.

The proposed outcome of the High School Exit Exam is that the students who do not pass it by the end of 12th grade will not receive a diploma of graduation. Rather, they will receive a certificate of completion. Next question is what do those young people do with that certificate? What will it qualify them for if anything? What will happen within our Junior Colleges to address this newly created group of non-high school graduates?

The biggest question among our special education people is what special ed services will be required for districts to provide for those students who do not pass the exam and therefore are not graduates. Current information about the test is that their will be a very limited list of allowable accomodations and NO modifications - not even Braille versions! Those students will have the test read to them!!! Very big question with lots of implications for alternate educational settings among other major issues.

The time spent on testing is increasingly impacting the instructional time in my middle school. Let me use my C Track 8th graders as an example. My school is on a year-round education calendar(163 instructional days) because we do not have the money in my district to build the schools we need to house all of our students at the same time. So, we have 3 tracks, three sets of kids and teachers - each track is required by the state to be an exact duplicate of the other tracks - equal access!

Last April my C Track 8th graders who were enrolled in Algebra took the following tests in a 20 day period of time: 1) 7 days of SAT-9 testing; 2) 1 additional day of the augmented Algebra version of the SAT-9; 3) 2 days of Golden State Algebra 1 test; 4) 1 day of the district post math assessment that all of our students are required to take as part of our Promotion Retention Policy; 5) 2 days for the Algebra final which is required for the students who want to receive highschool credit.

Add that up in the context of 163 days (8 months) of instruction and you will quickly see that those students lost nearly an entire month of instruction to testing! And, knowing 8th graders as we all do, that is not their favorite way to spend their last month of 8th grade!!!!! Keeping them focused is a REAL challenge for their teachers!

As my school and I wend our way through being part of the II/USP process(a direct outcome of the testing movement) in CA I would be glad to share my experience and answer any questions. I will also accept any gestures of sympathy on behalf of my faculty, students and parents!!!! This listserv does have a theraputic quality at times which I greatly appreciate!!

Betsy Burch

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having taught under the Kentucky Education Reform Act for several years, my outlook on student assessment has evolved from a collection of data addressing math computation skills into a well-rounded group of tests which require students to not only compute but also think, predict, test, and generalize observations.

My 8th grade students quickly come to realize that knowing rules to solve problems is just not enough to satisfy me. Soon, it is not enough for them as well. I use multi-task, "real world" grounded situations to assess students. They are given opportunities daily to "show off" their skills and demonstrate their understand to their peers. I never present a concept or skill without addressing "why this is important"... simply because my students will not allow me to! I require them to think, to explain, to use facts to prove their understanding and I model my teaching in the same manner.

The changes in Kentucky's testing, has allowed teachers to assess using open ended, writing responses (even in math and science). For many teachers, using this type of assessment has required teachers to take a deeper look into our daily assessment tools.

Greta Heady
Meyzeek MS
Louisville, KY

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION
BY JOINING THE MIDDLEWEB LISTSERV.
MEMBERS CAN POST A MESSAGE TO:

middleweblist@sreb.org

BACK to the MiddleWeb Listserv homepage