more simplistic tests

[Monty Neill <monty@FAIRTEST.ORG>]

Hi all. I've been away and have just signed back on. In our analysis of
the Bush testing plan, we concluded that having to do so much testing as
required by Bush is likely to lead to more simplistic testing--not that
the supposedly "higher order thinking" tests of most states actually do
a decent job of measuring real thinking, but even the effort is likely
to be scrapped. This piece is one example of the likely processes. Monty
Neill, FairTest

>From Jacksonville FL Times-Union

                 Wednesday, February 14, 2001

                 Story last updated at 11:26 p.m. on Tuesday, February
13, 2001

                 Tough test questions won't cut school grades
                    See also: School testing looms

                 By Laura Diamond
                 Times-Union staff writer

                 The difficult short-answer questions students take on a
statewide exam will
                 not be used in calculating a school's grade.

                 On the reading and math sections of the Florida
Comprehensive Assessment
                 Test, students are asked to explain how they arrive at
some answers.
                 Responses to these questions, considered more
challenging than typical
                 multiple choice, will not be included when the state
computes grades for each
                 school.

                 All public schools receive a grade of "A" through "F"
based in large part on
                 student FCAT scores.

                 The changes were implemented because it takes longer to
grade the
                 short-answer questions. Last year, the company
processing the exam, NCS
                 Pearson, was 24 days late in computing scores and had
to pay a $4 million
                 fine. Because of the delay, schools closed for the
summer without knowing
                 the results.

                 To prevent a delay this year, the state and company
agreed that parts of the
                 test that take the longest to grade will not be counted
this year.

                 Scores from the FCAT writing essay exam will still be
used. That test will be
                 administered next week. The reading and math tests will
be given next month.

                 Schools will still be able to use results from the
short-answer reading and
                 math sections to evaluate individual students.

                 Education Commissioner Charlie Crist, who was not with
the department
                 when the agreement was reached in October, said he is
disappointed that the
                 short-answer questions will be disregarded.

                 "It seems to me whenever we have children take a test
all answers should
                 count," Crist said.

                 He is talking with the company, which has a $69 million
contract with the
                 state. If in the future the group is unable to grade
all questions in a timely
                 manner, Crist said the state has an obligation to look
for another company
                 that can.

                 Educators say they are used to changes on FCAT. Whether
it be telling
                 schools that their marks are docked because of low
attendance or eliminating
                 certain criteria, the exam has changed consistently
since first administered in
                 1998.

                 "The thing that really concerns me is the criteria for
grading the schools comes
                 out so late, either right before the test and there is
little you can do about it, or
                 right after the test when there is nothing you can do
about it," said Tim
                 Ballentine, general director of research and assessment
for the Duval County
                 School Board.

                 "It is fine to grade the schools and test the kids," he
said, "but they need to
                 make up their minds and leave it there for a little
while."

                 Superintendent John Fryer said the changes are
justified if it means getting
                 results sooner.

                 "Just because something may not be counted on the exam
doesn't mean our
                 students are excused from learning it," Fryer said. "We
are supposed to be
                 teaching skills, not teaching to an exam."

                 There are other changes, too.

                 This year, all students in grades 3 through 10 will be
tested. Previously, only
                 those in grades 4, 5, 8 and 10 took the exam.

                 New grades taking the test will not see their test
scores count. Instead, the
                 scores will serve as a baseline for an expanded testing
system.

                 The new system will monitor how well students perform
at each grade level
                 and how they improve from one year to the next.

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