Ah, the month of May. Warm, sunny days (hypothetically). Special events. Memorial Day. The glorious approach of summer.
But first, standardized testing.
As Windsor households this week strive for extra sleep, sharpen extra pencils, and pack extra brainfood snacks, here are some thoughts on standardized testing from Kristin Niederman, our academic dean.
What do we hope these tests will do? How do we use the test results?
We hope the tests will show us a trend of improvement over time, helping to support what we already see in the classroom and reflected on report cards--that a student is learning and acquiring grade-appropriate skills, supported by our curriculum and teachers. If scores are very low in key areas, it may raise a red flag, but they will always be considered in the context of regular classroom evaluation.
We also see taking this type of test once a year as good practice over time, so as students get older and approach things like the SAT, it’s not a new skill. Test taking itself is a skill, and there are lots of factors that go into good test scores.
What do we NOT expect these tests to do? Is there any extent to which the results are not an accurate indication of learning?
We do not use these tests to affect regular grades, class/grade placement, or teacher evaluations. There are any number of things that could affect a student’s test grades in either direction and make it an inaccurate snapshot of their learning--they could be getting sick, be feeling anxious, be new at taking this type of test, accidentally skip a question, be having a particularly good day. We know these test scores are just a snapshot in the course of a year, which is why we look at them in the context of regular report cards and of trends over time.
This year in particular, we expect science and social studies scores to be low because we know the tests were developed for a curriculum that doesn’t exactly match the sequence of our curriculum; that is, our kids will learn everything on the test, but possibly not before taking the test this year. Because this is our first year with this particular test, we haven’t had the chance yet to make adjustments to our sequence. And when we do make adjustments, it will be not to be to what we teach or how we teach it (we’re still a classical school!) but to the order in which it’s taught. That will allow these tests to be a more helpful snapshot of what a student actually knows.
What would you say to students who are nervous about standardized testing?
Pray! And remember everyone at school is eager to help them and support them, not to make it harder than it has to be. They can look forward to lots of breaks throughout testing and the same support no matter what their scores look like!