Testing tests
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Beth Young
Standard-Examiner staff
L
AYTON -- This year Central Davis Junior High School will give 14 different district, state and nationwide tests to its students.
According to Principal Karyn Bertelsen, that is three to four major tests per grade. The situation is similar in most Utah schools.
Gov. Jon Huntsman is hoping to change that trend.
"The governor, as he has gone around to the different school districts -- he has almost visited all 40 of them -- one continuous theme that he has heard about is we test our kids too much," said Lisa Roskelley, a spokesman for the governor's office.
Because of this feedback from the schools, Huntsman recently organized a panel to study testing methods.
"A first-rate education for our students is one of my top priorities," Huntsman said in a release. "I want to ensure that Utah testing methods provide enough information about how we can improve student achievement and instruction as a state."
The panel is made up of 16 education professionals from across the state, with state superintendent Patti Harrington as director. The main goal of the panel is to streamline the testing process, and maybe find a way to fulfill all of the requirements
"(Huntsman) has asked these people to come together and take a hard look at what we should be doing with testing," Roskelley said. "Testing is an important part of the system, but it should be limited, and make sure the tests that we do take that they are a thorough assessment of where our kids are."
While there is no doubt testing is important to ensure students are properly educated, each test takes time away from the classroom, sometimes days.
"It does take time out, there is no doubt," said Sally Cannon, Central Davis Junior High site test coordinator.
"You're talking two, three, four days for these tests to be done in the classroom. That takes time out of learning."
Cannon said the results are good because they help teachers know if they are getting the information across to the stud
"So there is a pro and con either way you look at it," she said.
According to school officials, tests fall into two different categories.
Summative tests rank the level of students, teachers and schools. Formative tests show where the students are in different areas, such as math and reading.
"Formative assessments tell us what the kids are doing, so we can change and adapt our instruction to meet the needs of the kids," said Scott Zellmer, Weber School District research and testing specialist. "The formative tests are the most valuable where the kids are concerned."
Most of the tests, such as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and Criterion Referenced Tests, which are used for the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students and the No Child Left Behind legislation, only rank students.
"We don't get to see the questions afterward, just how many they missed," Zellmer said. "If they allowed us the opportunity for an item analysis on the CRTs, they become more formative."
Testing also has monetary costs.
"With the CRTs, they reproduce a new paper test every year, so we sent, I think, five pallets (of paper) to the burn plant," Zellmer said.
"If the money we spend on that test doesn't make it easier for the teacher in the classroom to better instruct the kids, then we are wasting money."
The panel plans look for ways to make testing more cost effective, provide more immediate diagnostic results of tests, and guide children toward college and university study.
"I wouldn't say (the system is) broken, but it's not as effective as it could be," Zellmer said.
"I think re-evaluating is a good thing," Cannon said. "To ask 'is this working and if it's not why are we continuing to do this?' "
Harrington said the panel already has some ideas of where to focus their efforts and will meet one or two times before presenting preliminary recommendations Nov. 13 during the governor's education summit.
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