Student Testing, Student Assessment and; Test Preparation
Test Preparation: How to Help Your Kids Do Well on Standardized Tests
TESTING Objections Over State Testing Are Widespread
May 2007
Department of Education violates the Constitution to silence those who disagree with its agenda of high-stakes testing. Kohn, author of "The Case Against Standardized Testing: Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools," published by Heinemann in 2000, said in a written statement that there is an urgent need for discussion on the downsides of testing at a time when the federal No Child Left Behind law is up for reauthorization.
Department of Education Convicted. Superior Court Judge Hiller B. Zobel ruled the DOE violated Kohn's civil rights and ordered the state Department of Education to pay more than $155,000 in legal fees for violating the civil rights of Alfie Kohn noted standardized testing critic by preventing him from speaking at a conference. The state official's e-mail said "it was stupid" to use the state funds to support a speaker who is "diametrically opposed" to the state's agenda, according to court documents.
In addition to awarding the fees in his final judgment, the judge also issued an injunction prohibiting the Department of Education from denying grant money for any conference unless the speech topic is clearly unrelated to the conference's subject.``The judge is now going to craft an injunction which specifies exactly what the Department of Education must do or can't do in the future, as a result of having been liable for trying to silence dissent." It follows the court's ruling last August that the department violated the First Amendment when it threatened to withdraw funding for the conference if Belmont author Alfie Kohn delivered the keynote address. Alfie Kohn was barred from speaking at an education conference in Massachusetts by the Department of Education because of his criticism of standardized testing. The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of Kohn and a school principal, a counselor, and a parent who wanted to hear the speech. Kohn was scheduled to speak on standardized testing at a conference funded by the department in 2001. The DOE threatened to withdraw its money if Kohn was permitted to speak.
"The MCAS has not changed one bit in the past five years. He argues that such tests short-circuit real teaching and learning." ``It remains a test that measures what matters least about learning, and the damage it does because of its high-stake status is incalculable, both to the students who are forced out of school without a diploma because they don't think they can pass and how it displaces meaningful learning," said Alfie Cohen
Is America prepared to compete in the future global marketplace? A new study says a radical overhaul of American education is needed if we are to be prepared. Listen to HARRY SPENCE, author of Tough Choices or Tough Times report mp3
Download the executive summary released by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce.
Among the reports recommendations include: starting school for most children at age 3, and ending high school after 10th grade.
Students then would opt for either technical college or spend two years in college prep courses.
2007 The U.S. Education Department reported nationwide, 73% of 12th-grade students achieved a "basic" reading score in 2005, down from 80% in 1992, according to the NAEPa sampling test the government calls the "nation's report card." Sixty-one percent scored at or above the basic level in math.
National Assessment of Educational Progress Report - Download Report Could these disappointing results be blamed on stupid, malformed tests and the are making so much money for the companies who publish them?
Mental Measurements Yearbook - http://www.unl.edu/buros/
Provides full-text information about, and reviews of, all English-language standardized tests covering educational skills, personality, vocational aptitude, psychology, and related areas as included in the printed Mental Measurements Yearbooks. Produced by the
Buros Institute.
There is some information from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, and the Buros Institute.
http://ericae.net/
http://buros.unl.edu/buros/jsp/search.jsp
Instructional Resources
http://www.unl.edu/buros/bimm/html/subarts.html
To purchase the actual test materials, you will need to contact the test publisher(s).
http://buros.unl.edu/buros/jsp/search.jsp
Some tests are available in "compilation volumes" but it would be an arduous task to track down a large number of them and obtain permission to use in research. See:
http://libraries.uta.edu/helen/Test&Meas/testmainframe.htm
Teaching to the Test - K-12 Standards
HOW DO YOU TEST AND ASSESS SOMEONE'S CHARACTER
DROP OUT / PUSHED OUTHow long do children have the right to stay in school?
- RETENTION & Social Promotion - Who will benefit?
- Drop out Pushed out scandal.
- What horrible things are going on in your state?
- CHEATING AND FALSE REPORTING BY THE DEPT. OF EDUCATION
EVALUATION & EVALUATING THE EVALUATORS
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage
Education Disinformation Detection and Reporting Agency
EDDRA is dedicated to analyzing reports, dispelling rumors, rebutting lies about public education in the United States. It represents an on-line version of the work I have been doing since 1991. -- Gerald Bracey
Education Dept. Plans To Break Up Evaluation Office 4/02
American Evaluation Association
High stakes testing leads to under-serving or mis-serving all students, especially the most needy and vulnerable, thereby violating the principle of “do no harm.” The AEA opposes the use of tests as the sole or primary criterion for making decisions with serious negative consequences for students, educators, and schools. The AEA supports systems of assessment and accountability that help education.
Planning and Evaluation Service U.S. Dept. of Education
Word of caution for anyone organizing for political reform. By the time organization is accomplished, robots will put vast numbers of people out of work and the political issues will be vastly different. Ditto for education, too: the leaders and shakers of the world grew up during the Eisenhower years and are bent on perfecting an Eisenhower-model education system. What kids need is to fit into the world of the future, not the world of the past. And with work a thing of the past, will ethnic identity matters consume a huge amount of the political landscape? It is already starting to happen. - annonymous
FACING THE HARD FACTS IN EDUCATION REFORM
A decade of research on factors affecting student achievement shows that current efforts to reform elementary and secondary education need to go far beyond federal law, standards, and accountability. A new study outlines key obstacles that influence educational achievement that are often overlooked during education reform including: absenteeism, tardiness, low expectations, school finance disparities, lack of strong messages that learning is important, lack of quality technology, and inadequate attention to the developmental needs of preschool children.
History Of American Education Web Project
Links of interest to evaluators
Evaluating States to States In Areas Other Than Education
Statistical Abstracts of the United States - U.S. Census
Evaluating State & Districts School
National Center for Education Statistics
THE WHOLE CHILD IN A FRACTURED WORLD
Commissioned by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), a new paper by Harold "Bud" Hodgkinson is designed to assist in
recasting the definition of a successful learner from one whose achievement is measured solely by academic tests, to one who is knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically engaged, prepared for economic self-sufficiency, and ready for the world beyond formal schooling. The report documents the "splendid isolation of the U.S. educational system" providing an overview of the complexity, the challenges, and the flaws in measuring efficacy. For example, the U.S. Department of Education contributes only 10 percent of total education spending, but it issues 90 percent of the regulations that schools must follow. Hodgkinson proposes five themes for consideration:
(1) Equity. Who gets access and who doesn't?
(2) Coordination. Should there be one national standard for student proficiencies, set by the federal government, or a standard for each state? Who decides?
(3) Knowledge Integration. How can we develop a common vocabulary for education discourse?
(4) Sequence. In regards to learning and teaching, what should happen to people at what moment in their lives? (5) Wholeness. Could schools collaborate with health, school, and community organizations in maximizing potential using a whole child approach? "If decisions about education policy and practice started with 'What works for the child?' how would resources -- time, space, and human -- be arrayed to ensure each child's success?" said Gene Carter. "If the student were truly at the center of the system, would could we achieve?"
http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/fracturedworld.pdf
Evaluating Education Performance State to State
- National Center for Education Statistics
- Full Version of the Digest below
Digest of Education Statistics Tables and Figures
List of 2003 Charts & Figures
ASSESSMENT
Quality
Integrity
Accreditation
The School Information Partnership is a public-private collaboration designed to empower parents, educators and policymakers to use the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) data to make informed decisions and improve school results. Standard & Poor's created the website which includes a suite of interactive analytical tools from Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services and the National Center for Educational Accountability's Just for the Kids. For schools, districts and states across the nation, the website will display available data required to be publicly reported under NCLB. This initiative is funded by The Broad Foundation and U.S. Department of Education.
The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) was established under the Higher Education Amendments of 1992(Public Law 102-325). Section 114 of the Higher Education Act, as amended (HEA), provides for a Committee composed of 15 members appointed by the Secretary of Education. The law specifies that members should be representatives of, or knowledgeable concerning, education and training beyond secondary education, including representatives of all sectors and type of institutions of higher education, as well as a student representative.
Regional Accreditors The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
National Accreditors The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONAL DIRECTORY MARCH 2002 Office of Management Executive Office.
READ the The General Accounting Office report that activities are under way to improve teacher training, but reporting on these activities could be enhanced. [PDF 1.47KB]
TEACHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?
According to a study provided to TIME by the research firm Quality Education Data, a division of Scholastic, U.S. elementary school teachers spend more than $1billion a year of their own money on supplies for their classrooms. The average teacher's personal contribution is a surprising $521 annually, 35% more than what the school provides them with to buy such things as paperbacks, software, instructional posters and art supplies. Teachers, with an average salary of $42,000, say what they need most is materials for at-risk students, like books for a fifth-grader who reads at a first-grade level or posters for students who aren't proficient in English. Those who spend the most, first-year teachers ($701 a year), are also the lowest paid. - From PEN. Teacher Salaries Facts and Articles
How To Prepare My Child for State Exams
Most State Education Pages are providing the public with either sample tests or released questions from previous exams.
- State Testing Page
Find out which states are providing the public with online sample tests and released questions from previous exams. - Full Math Test Releases
As more states release full past exams instead of sample sheets we will post them. - TIMSS Math and Science Page
In addition to practicing State Exams we also suggest sampling Tests provided by the Third International Math and Science Study. This is the famous series of international exams where the US scored 13th in the world. - State Math Page
This page is designed to provide parents to easy access to state mathematics exams as they become available to the public. - State English/Reading Page
This page is designed to provide parents to easy access to state English exams as they become available to the public.
THE NATION'S REPORT CARD
School Results.org, will serve as a clearinghouse for new state report cards on education, parents and policy-makers can make comparisons across districts and track student progress.
Search for Public Schools (National Center for Education Statistics).
Search by Zip Code to identify community schools, then view the data available on each school and its students.
American Factfinder (Census Bureau).
Population and housing data from Census 2000 searchable by zip code. Educational attainment and language spoken at home data is in Summary File 3 (SF3).
Sources covering California only
Rand California
Academic Performance Index.
Enrollment Statistics.
Enrollment by Ethnicity Statistics.
Limited English Proficiency Statistics.
Public High School Performance Statistics.
School District Financial and Demographic Statistics.
Schools Computer and Internet Access Statistics.
Detailed Student Transition from Limited English to Fluent English Statistics.
Teacher Demographic Statistics.
| Help Kids on Standardized Tests | Standards and Assessment | How Do Students Compare? | Report Card Info |
Preschool Assessment | High School Assessment | Special Ed Assessment |
How to Help Your Kids Do Well on Standardized Tests
| Accreditation Through Technical Evaluation of Standardized Tests | Tips for parents: how to help children with tests and what to ask teachers about their child's performance. |
| eduTest | Online educational assessment and drills - you must register to access diagnostic tools for teachers, parents, and student - but there is no cost. |
General Standards and Assessment
Examples of excellent standards and information on assessment from the state and federal governments.| CRESST Home Page Another rich resource on standards and assessment at the national level. This site is funded by the national government. |
Mecrel Standards Site This site not only lists model standards in most curriculum areas, but provides a wealth of direct connections to teacher-friendly sites to support every standard. |
| International Data And Comparison Unicef's findings from a 1995 survey of primary schools in 14 of the world's poorest countries. |
The Condition of Education 1997 This is an excellent summary of statistics derived from a variety of reports published at the national |
How Do Our Students Compare?
Assessment results used in comparing students in the United States. Includes links to NAEP results, TIMSS results, and the IEA Reading Literacy Study Report.| National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State-by-state testing results in Geography, Math, Reading, Science, U.S. History, and Writing. See how California's scores compare. Includes sample questions! |
Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) How do math and science abilities of students in the United States compare to abilities of students in the rest of the world? Investigate the reports to find out. Also includes testing information and e-mail access to steering committee members. |
| Reading Literacy in the U.S 1996 Findings from the IEA Reading Literacy Study. Compares reading abilities of students in the U.S. to students in other countries. |
Research on reading in the US 2000 Raising Inner - City Reading Levels What Every Educator Needs to Know |
STAR Official Web Site |
STAR Test Results Now Accessible! This page also has links to the publisher and the state department. |
STAR - Ranking of California Schools |
Report Card Information
A result of the new emphasis on tying report cards to standards. Features sample report cards!| Evaluating: Grading and Scoring short articles regarding letter grades, alternative report cards, weighted grades, and more. |
Federal Way School’s Teacher Learning Center Example of standards-based report cards for kindergarten through high school. |
Preschool Assessment
| A Developmental Approach to the Assessment of Young Children By Lilian G. Katz. The purposes of assessment, risks of preschool assessment, and involvement of children in the assessment process. Also contains links to other articles! |
Preschool Assessment Sites relating to the controversial issue of preschool assessment. |
High School Assessment
| S.A.T. Information On-line S.A.T. registration, practice questions, and insights from the test makers themselves. |
Advanced Placement Exams Access to information for parents, students, and teachers on AP exams, including benefits of AP courses, information about testing conditions, and sample exams. |
| G.E.D. Information All about the content and scoring of the General Education Development exams. Includes local contacts. |
High School Assessment Sites Information for parents, students and educators about Golden State Exams, Advanced Placement Tests, S.A.T.s, A.C.T.s and G.E.D.s. |
Special Education Assessment
Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills -- Revised This inventory tool is aligned with Reading First a known Scam |
Special Education Assessments Favorite assessments used in special education classes. Find out about the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills, the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. |
