ENGAGING STUDENTS IN THE

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Misty Beair

Special Education Director

Wayne Community Schools

WHAT ARE WE WORRIED ABOUT?

ALL KIDS LOVE SCHOOL….AND CAN’T WAIT TO BE TESTED!!

WHAT WE ARE REALLY SEEING…

OUR JOB IS TO FIND THE ANSWER

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT “Don’t constantly stress about test

scores. We have to stop sending the message to our students that the purpose of learning is to take a test.”

Ron Clark in “The End of Molasses Classes

Kids need to know that a test does not equal an education. It is simply a way to measure growth!!

WHERE WE STARTED NeSA MAP AIMSweb

Finding our purpose Communicating that purpose to our #1

clients and getting their support

OUR FIRST YEAR All kids (3-8 and 11) complete MAP

testing – scores shared with parents when report cards were sent

All kids (K-8) complete AIMSweb testing – scores shared with parents when concerns were noted

All kids (3-8 and 11) complete NeSA-R – scores shared with parents in the fall

PROBLEMS WE FOUND Most kids didn’t care about testing

because…Tests were done to them – not for themWe tested kids to know how the teachers

were doingResults were not shared in a timely mannerParents were confused on the purpose of

each of the tests their children were involved in so it wasn’t being talked about at home

OUR SECOND YEAR We added grade 9 to MAP testing We quit testing grades 7 and 8 with

AIMSweb We added NeSA-M

Teachers understood the importance of NeSA testing. We tried many things to get kids motivated. WEB purchased snacks for each student in

grades 5-8 Teachers and Administrators spent time

educating parents and students on the importance of NeSA testing

TRY – TRY AGAIN….. Students still were not buying in. Teachers understood the purpose for

NeSA, but not MAP or AIMSweb.

Time to go back to the drawing boardWhat was our purpose?How do we make kids “WANT” to test

YEAR THREE… We reduced our requirements for

AIMSweb and moved it from SPED to general ed. Plans are underway to add more testing each year

MAP – We added grade 10 to MAP testing (now testing grades 3-11). Required full testing in the fall (Math,

Reading, and Science) and short form testing of Math and Reading in the winter.

Teachers have the option to test more than district requirements, including spring testing to prepare for 2012-13 school year

YEAR THREE CONTINUED… NeSA testing

Math, Reading and Science Use MAP data to help prepare for NeSAUse MAP testing observations to prepare for

NeSA

YEAR THREE (WE ARE STILL LEARNING) We spent a significant amount of time

defining our purpose for each test. That information was relayed to teachers, parents, community members AND our students!!

Our best investment of time has been educating our students!!!

HOW DID WE GET OUR STUDENTS ON BOARD? All students in grades 3-11 were taught

about MAP tests and how to interpret their results

Kids in grades 3-8 participate in student led conferences. They were each in charge of explaining their testing results to their parents. THEY DID GREAT!!!

DATA CARDS

WHAT WE TAUGHT RIT score (or any test score) is a way to

measure growth.A test score is a picture of how you

“measured up” that day.An accurate test score can only be

measured if you “stand tall” (aka….try your best)

A test score CAN NOT determine what you will become or how far you will go in life.

A test score CAN tell you if you are growing

WHAT WE TAUGHT Educational growth should be thought of

just like your actual growth!Your height today does not tell us how tall

you will be! We used the junior high kids as an example.

WHAT DOES AN EDUCATIONAL GROWTH CHART LOOK LIKE?

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Kids were able to explain what

“educational growth” was Teachers were present to answer

questions that students might not be able to answer

Teachers, students, and parents had genuine conversations about testing that put GROWTH as the priority – not grades!!!

THE DATA CARD Immediate feedback Intrinsic Motivation

Kids want to beat their “high score”First time in my life I’ve been thankful for

video games Teachers have a quick and easy

reference card We are planning on incorporating

AIMSweb and NeSA scores onto data cards

THE DATA CARD

MAKING IT FIT

MAKING IT FIT Kids should not view a test score as

“good” or “bad”“Show what you know”

Kids will develop their perception of testing based on how you present it

Testing should not be a “One Size Fits All” mentality

Do what it takes to make it “Fit” for your district!

QUESTIONS?Testing a child will never increase

their knowledge, just like measuring them won’t make them taller. What testing does do is measure progress over time. Monitoring a child’s progress is the most effective way to know if we are giving them what they need to grow.