High-Stakes?
History
ACA Principles
Consequences
100
To gather data about student achievement. Improve academic achievement and opportunities for all students.
What is the purpose for High-Stakes Testing?
100
Society pressures Global economy Accountability Pressure to compare, measure Failing schools Success for students
What are the reasons why we have high-stakes testing?
100
All students must have an equitable opportunity to learn the material
What is Opportunity to learn?
100
Narrows the scope of the curriculum
What is the consequence for instruction?
200
Results used to hold districts, schools, teachers and students accountable.
What is High-Stakes Testing in Education?
200
Federal Support of Compensatory Education (mid-1960’s)
What is Title I?
200
Results used to identify and provide assistance to students who fall below required level of performance
What is Availability of Remediation?
200
Professional consequences (loss of employment) Less autonomy, creativity, independence
What is consequence for theachers?
300
Student: Grade retention or promotion, High school graduation, Eligibility for special programs (“gifted”, special education), College acceptance, Perception of self District: Financial ramifications, Control of district, Public perception/property values
What is at Stake?
300
A Nation At-Risk Reforms: National Commission on Excellence in Education 1983. An ambitious and well-publicized elementary and secondary education reform movement.
What took place in the mid-late 1980's?
300
Technically sound, free of gender, racial, and cultural bias and produce reliable, valid scores. Should use a variety of formats and facilitate demonstration of a range of cognition
What is Development of Tests?
300
Impact on students
What is the impact on students?
400
Instruction: Narrows the scope of the curriculum. Areas that are not tested (science, social studies, writing, art) are neglected in favor of reading and arithmetic that appear on test. Innovative teaching strategies (corporative learning, creative projects) are abandoned in favor of more traditional lecture and recitation
What are the consequences?
400
Testing program to gather data about student achievement National or state-wide standardized achievement test Cut-off point used to determine “pass vs. fail”
What is High-Stakes Testing in Education?
400
Easily interpreted by educators and understood by students and parents
What is Usefulness?
400
Educators, administrators, and students have cheated on exams Amanda’s story For adults, cheating can help save jobs, earn bonuses and keep schools from closing. NOTE: NY Times article from October 31, 2011 7% of public city high schools are facing allegations of test tampering in the 2009-2010 school year, a rise from 1% in 2002-3
What is cheating?
500
Federal Grants – Race to the Top $350 million dollars Develop new tests based on Common Core Standards in English and math $10.7 million dollars $10.7 million dollars by May 27, 2012
What is next for High-Stakes Testing?
500
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) P.L. 107-110 All students beginning 2005-2006 in grades 3 through 8 and in at least one grade in high school in reading or language arts and mathematics must be tested every year. Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, states will also be required to test students annually in science in at least one grade in each of three grades spans (3-5, 6-9, & 10-12). Schools that fail to meet “annual yearly progress” will be placed on a needs-improvement category.
What is What is NCLB?
500
Ongoing research is necessary Open process Teachers, administrators and students should be involved in all phases of assessment program development. Specific due process procedures for contesting decisions should be formalized and disseminated. Student identities must be protected
What are the Policies and Applications?
500
Critics believe that students will be harmed as they will be disproportionately retained or denied a high school diploma, for their schools failing to expose them to the knowledge and skills required to pass the test.
What are the consequences for minority, ESL and students with low SES?
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