Sorry, Larry Summers. An analysis of standardized test scores from more than 7 million students in grades 2 through 11 finds no difference in math scores for girls and boys. Everybody is on this one, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, TIME, lots more.
Tag Archive for 'standardized tests'
…but were afraid to admit you didn’t already know. A really useful primer at Eduwonkette. Clip and save.
This spring, Rhode Island’s high school graduating class became the first in the nation to face performance-based assessments as a state-mandated requirement for earning a diploma.
“To be sure, no one is saying that Rhode Island’s trailblazing move means it’s time to start writing the obituary for machine-scored standardized exams,” notes a report in Education Week. “After all, even Rhode Island still uses them, and most experts agree that multiple choice is here to stay.” The piece offers a strong recap of the history of performance-based assessment over the last several decades, noting that “subjectivity of grading student portfolios and dissertation-defense-style presentations” has derailed previous attempts to work around standardized testing. Given the widespread disenchantment with NCLB and testing in general, it stands to reason, however that we’ll be reading lots more of this in the near future. Indeed, EdWeek reports eight other states have “expressed an interest” in Rhode Island’s initiative.
One of them is probably Ohio, where education officials have won a $1.3 million grant to explore alternative assessments, such as portfolios, senior projects, journals, small-group collaborations or teacher observation, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Every June, I and other teachers in my South Bronx elementary school, would go to great lengths to assemble portfolios of written work for students who were in danger of being held over. The point, as far as there was one, was to demonstrate that students who tested below grade level were in fact, making good progress, and that their test scores were not a reflection of their actual ability. It was an annual exercise in frustration and irrelevance. Say what you will about standardized tests, but rarely was a failing grade a poor indicator of a student’s ability. But more to the point, none of my students were in danger of being held over. Even those who scored a “1″ on their ELA exams (the lowest possible score) were shipped off to summer school and miraculously got up to speed in six weeks (I must have been some kind of lousy teacher not to have pulled that off myself) and “earned” promotion. In five years, the only time one of my students was held over was one whose mother insisted to the principal that he repeat the grade.
Social promotion, in short, is alive and well. Was my experience an anomaly? I’m curious as to the state of play elsewhere. Is social promotion happening in your school?
From an Education Sector newsletter:
Education Sector’s Explainer series unpacks key school accountability issues!
Current education news and debates all seem to revolve around the federal No Child Left Behind Act and school accountability. Education Sector’s Explainer Series will help you make sense of these confusing education policy issues.
Education Sector’s Explainer series gives lay readers insights into important aspects of education policymaking. Explainers are designed to bring clarity to key, but complex, concepts and terms within the education landscape that often are misunderstood by the public. They are straightforward, cut-through-the-jargon guides that can be used alone, or as a reference when reading education news stories or research on related topics.
Recent Explainers have focused on deciphering some of NCLB’s fundamental features including how states set “cut scores” on their tests, what it means for states to make “adequate yearly progress” under the federal law, and how the controversial National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) works.
Read, reference, and share these Education Sector Explainers:
Making the Cut: How States Set Passing Scores on Standardized Tests
Passing or “cut” scores are a key factor in determining the rigor of state tests, which matter more than ever before under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Yet, when states and the media report student results on exams, they rarely include information on passing scores or the process by which they are determined. This Explainer describes how states set cut scores and why they matter.
States’ Evidence: What It Means to Make ‘Adequate Yearly Progress’ Under NCLB
Under NCLB, states must set performance targets for schools to meet, known as “adequate yearly progress,” or “AYP.” And those schools that do not meet these goals or “make” AYP face considerable consequences. But what does it really mean for a school to make AYP? This Explainer describes how NCLB’s complex accountability system works overall and in different states and discusses the basics of “making” AYP and the multiple routes schools can take to get there.
Understanding NAEP: Inside the Nation’s Education Report Card
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is one of the most trusted resources for comparing student achievement across states and demographic groups. But it is also one of the most complex tests in existence, leading to difficulty in interpreting and reporting its results. This Explainer is a guide to understanding NAEP’s complex features and the challenges ahead for the test in an era of increased accountability.
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