Standardized Testing in K-12
By Nahid and Allison H.
February 28, 2006
Abstract
- A statistical and accountability dilemma has emerged
due to the passage of the ³No Child Left Behind Act of 2001². States
are now forced by federal law to show adequate student yearly progress
targets, which will be met through high-stakes testing. Several states
have constructed their own accountability systems that feature
criterion-referenced assessments. The State of Washington established
the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) as its
accountability tool. The WASL is keyed to the stateıs standards called
³Essential Academic Learning Requirements.² The WASL is used to test
all 4th, 7th and 10th graders in mathematics, reading, and writing. The
5th, 8th and 10th graders will be assessed in science.
- Our
presentation will focus on testing in our stateıs K-12 education
system, specifically the WASL. We will begin by sharing the background
of standardized testing and the SAT. Next we will give an overview of
standardized testing in our state. The remainder of our discussion will
focus on the WASL: a historical timeline, examples of math items from
2005, lessons from last yearıs test scores about which students are
struggling the most, and interventions. We will end with group
discussion around the following questions: How might questions about
the SAT become relevant to questions about the WASL? Or, how can we use
what we have learned from the SAT to think about the WASL? Using the
WASL within the goals it was designed for, how does this
promote/discourage participation? For whom does it promote? Discourage?
Readings suggested for classmates:
An
Examination of the Longitudinal Effect of the Washington Assessment
of Student Learning (WASL) on Student Achievement
http://www.k12.wa.us/Assessment/pubdocs/AimingHigh2006.pdf
Middle Level Strategies for School Improvement
A Report from the Washington State Middle Level
Task Force
http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/inclusion/systems/WSMLTF.pdf
Weaving Gender Equity into Math Reform
The SAT: Public-Spirited or Preserving Privilege?
By Julian Weissglass
http://www2.terc.edu/wge/sat.pdf
References:
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v11n18/
http://www2.terc.edu/wge/