Re: Looking for Specific Examples of Inappropriate Use of Tests

["Deanna M. De'Liberto" <Ddeliberto@AOL.COM>]

Dan, as always, you make a lot of very good comments.  I enjoyed reading your
previous post and did not yet get an opportunity to respond to that.

In terms of your questions regarding the kids of test publisher exec's not
taking the tests that all other kids are expected to pass, I do not have ANY
hard data at all to that issue.  Your implication seems to be that you think
exec are doing everything possible to ensure that their own kids are exempt
for the tests they create.  I doubt this is in fact true, and if it is true,
it will likely not be true given that new regulations require all students to
be tested, including those in special ed.....in which case getting your child
classified as special ed, is not going to do this trick.  On another point,
what parent wants their child to be classified as special ed if the child
does not need special services?  If you want my candid, and perhaps naive,
opinion, I would look in the direction of suspecting that most corporate
execs (which is not limited only to test publishers) would have kids who are
in gifted and talented programs.  These kids take LOTS of tests, the last
time I checked!

Now that is where I agree, that corporate execs having lots of money to
provide test prep puts other kids at a disadvantage.  Because if we spend
lots of $$$$ to prepare kids for the test that determines who gets to be
enrolled in a gifted and talented program, then yeah other kids do not have
the same opportunity for access.  But I do not support test prep to get
someone to pass a test JUST to get into a gifted and talented program FOR
ANYONE, rich, poor or indifferent.  This has the effect of INVALIDATING the
results of the test.  But of course, you'll tell me get real, test publisher
execs have access to the tests and want the best for their own chidden.

See I am getting good at this, Dan.  I know your comments before you make
them.  I am not being facetious.  I know well that there are many
psychologists that have access to IQ tests, etc. who prep their kids on them
so that they kids make it into gifted and talented programs.  This is VERY
INAPPROPRIATE, but it is done.

There was a test prep company that contacted me and asked if they could have
a copy of our algebra readiness test so that they could develop a test prep
book for it.  I said NO WAY.  At one point I was meeting with a district and
a representative happened to show up from the test prep company to try to get
information about our test.  We IMMEDIATELY took the district representatives
to a room where the test prep folks did NOT have any access to our
conversation.  I am certain that IF I had provided the test to the test prep
company, that I would make a bigger fortune on the sales of test prep
materials, which for all I know might drive more folks to purchase our test
since they could buy the test prep materials and make their district look
good.  I really do not know.  Would anyone really be that dishonest???
Certainly NOT the districts that purchase OUR tests.  The pint is that I
would not do something I believe was wrong EVEN if it meant I could be
laughing my way to the Cayman Bank!!!

Standardized testing is a term that refers the administration and
interpretation of test scores being standardized.  There is NO way that I
could ever standardize the instruction or test prep that students receive
prior to taking one of the so called standardized tests.  However, companies
like ETS who develop the SAT claim that the constructs they are testing are
not coachable and that test prep only provides limited score gains to the
extent that it gets kids familiar with the types of items asked on tests like
the SAT.  Of course, any test user SHOULD ABSOLUTELY look for evidence of
that claim.  I'd also suggest looking very skeptically at the claims made by
test prep companies.  I know of one that administers a MUCH easier pre-test
(that the actual SAT) before the test prep course and then administers a MUCH
harder post-test (than that actual SAT) at the end of the course to show
EVIDENCE that those that take their course make 200 point gains on the SAT.
The ASSUMPTION everyone makes is that their pre-test and post-test are
equivalent in difficulty to that of the SAT.  BOGUS!

I really need to get back to work here.  But I hope this helps in the mean
time.

In a message dated 9/20/02 9:38:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
drdanj@EARTHLINK.NET writes:

> Deanna, if a bunch of rich kids take testing prep classes, and the poor
>  kids do not, and the rich kids pass at higher rates, then can you please
>  tell me how such tests are "standardized" to account for test prep
>  classes being a strong predictor of score?
>
>  We need an investigative reporter to look into these things.
>


Deanna
===================================================
Deanna M. De'Liberto, President/Director of Assessment
D Squared Assessments, Inc.
(Specialists in Test Development/Validation and Test Administration)
9 Bedle Road, Suite 250
Hazlet, NJ 07730-1209
Phone:  (732) 888-9339
Email:    Ddeliberto@aol.com
Web:     http://www.dsquared.to

Member of the Association of Test Publishers
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