by Lorrie Miller

Perhaps your children came home from school and said that they took some extra tests in school.   The students may think we are testing them more and more lately.  They would be accurate.

 

         We conducted Northwestern Evaluation Association tests on computers at the high school in October.  Teachers will be going over the students' scores in reading, language, arts, math, and science (science only for grades 4-8) at a meeting on afternoon when the students are released early.  The students' scores will be compared to other students' scores across the nation.  A copy of your children's scores will be compared to other students' scores across the nation.  A copy of your children's scores will be mailed to you.  The purpose of this test is to help teachers see which information the students need.  What the students need, the teachers will teach.  These tests are also used to identify high achieving students who may participate in high-achieving learning activities.

 

        DIBELS is a reading test given to grades K-6.  All students are tested three times a year, in the fall, winter, and spring.  The hope is to see improvement in scores over the course of the year.  If students score in a low range in the fall, they are asked to participate in "interventions" and to be tested once a week.  The weekly tests are a way to see if the "interventions" are working.

"interventions" are reading activities that students complete daily, usually with the help of a one-on-one paraprofessional.  Examples of "interventions" include:  reading a page and telling a peer what was read, calling out flashcards of 10 letter sounds, and reading aloud to a paraprofessional who immediately corrects inaccurately read words.

 

     Educators have acknowledged that even though they may have taught the subject, some students won't always learn the subject.  Test scores tell teachers whether or not the student learned.  Teachers can then adjust their teaching strategies to help all students learn.

 

     These tests are in addition to the traditional end-of-unit tests given to assign student grades. 

 

     Yes, testing is an important component in the teaching process.  If your student talks about a lot of tests, you can rest assured that your student's teacher is doing a great job.