Testing…Testing…1, 2, 3…Testing!

Standardized tests are a hotly debated practice in education today. Nevertheless, they are used in all fifty states to the majority of students.

So we all use them and make our students take them.

But what about us? What about the teachers and other staff responsible for making students take these tests? Have we taken them?

I had the pleasure of taking the test that we use for students in the schools my employer manages and it was enlightening to say the least.

How about you? Have you recently taken the test your students do? If that is not possible due to test security, perhaps you might consider pulling a released item version of the test of the publisher’s website and run a simulated testing session with you and some of your colleagues.

Go ahead – I dare you! And when you do, be sure to come back here and share your experience with the other readers.

Date: December 2, 2009

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chad donohue

in December 2nd, 2009 @ 15:05

Hey Rob,
Great blog post. In my work as an adjunct prof at a local university here in Seattle, I teach an assessment course for undergrads majoring in Education. One of the things I ask students to do is take a released-item version of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). This is/was our state standardized test for years. (After this year, the test will be changing and will no longer be called the WASL.) Anyway, the point of the activity is to have future teachers experience the test from two perspectives: 1. The student, 2. The teacher. They then discuss the test from both perspectives and brainstorm possible ways to best prepare students for the experience of taking the test. They look at issues like test anxiety, question ambiguity, and format. We ask if the test seems biased in any way, and what skills would be helpful for passing such a test. It’s a fun session and the undergrads seem to come away with a better understanding of the many issues surrounding standardized testing. Finally, we try to make clear the idea that routine daily formative assessments are far more effective when it comes to improving student learning than are annual high stakes tests.

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Testing…Testing…1, 2, 3…Testing!

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chad donohue