Last week, I took the sample Colorado Student Assessment Program
test at Acres Green Elementary School. Both the elementary and
middle school versions were available.
I selected the elementary version and brought the middle school
test home for my husband, Ron, to take. Only about a dozen people
were present for the test.
We both found the test quite interesting. Unlike the tests of
“olden days,” these sample tests were not entirely multiple choice,
but required the student to determine the correct answer by
applying skills learned up to the time of the test.
The impression was that the test attempts to evaluate the
student’s ability to think rather than his capacity for rote
memorization.
It was encouraging to find that if a child could justify their
answers logically; they could get credit even if the answer they
gave was not the preferred answer. I also discovered that some
accommodations can be made for children with special needs or those
who normally need extra time during test taking.
The obvious hope of these standardized tests is not to teach to
the test but to standardize education to the point where all
students possess the knowledge to think through questions or
problems to determine the answer and justify their
conclusion.
Ideally, children who do well on these tests will be able to
think for themselves and make educated deductions not only for test
questions but throughout life.
Having said that, there are several areas where these tests
could improve. First it is necessary for the powers that be to
recognize that Douglas County is part of this state, and that not
only are our elementary school children attending school
year-round, but they are on a track system. At least one track is
disadvantaged each time the tests are given. This year it was “C”
track.
Several other issues also need to be resolved. One involves
removing questions that present a scenario in a context unfamiliar
to the student. If any of you think that this is a problem that
relates only to inner-city youth, think again. This year educators
will look closely at a question on the fifth-grade math test when
grades come in for Douglas County students.
More confusion comes from the rankings given students. Scoring a
child as “proficient” fails to recognize that those scoring less
than proficient could very well be performing at grade level. For
these tests to serve the community at large including students,
parents and all taxpayers, the discrepancy between scoring and
grade-level performance must be resolved.
Another failure of the testing or possibly in reporting scores
is that several students who do not take the test for one reason or
another are still counted in the number of students while given a
zero as a score.
Perhaps instead of using “hard nose” tactics to punish an entire
school and community when parents withhold children from the test,
it would be more productive to work with educators and parents to
allow some students to be withheld from taking the test.
The most important thing I took away from this test was that the
test itself is evolving each year. Some questions come off the test
and new ones are added. For the next couple years more students
will be tested, eventually providing reading scores for grades
three through 10, math scores for grades five through 10 and
retaining the eighth-grade science testing.
One undeniable point this test drives home is that reading and
comprehension skills truly are fundamental to a successful
education of all children. Read to a child today.
Stay tuned.
Jean Henke is a resident of Acres Green.