What Does All This Testing Mean

What Does All This Testing Mean?

MBES PTA General Meeting 11/7/13 @ 6:30pm

Tests We Will Discuss Tonight:

CogAT: Cognitive Abilities Test

Iowa Test: Achievement

CRCT: Criterion Referenced Competency Test

• The CogAT is a norm-reference test designed to measure students’ learned reasoning abilities that closely relate to success in school

• The Iowa is a norm-reference, multiple choice test that measures student achievement compared to a national sample of students who took the same test at the same time of year under the same conditions

• Taking the CogAT and the Iowa at the same time allows for a comparison of ability to achievement

Norm Reference Testing

Norm-Reference Testing

National

Percentile Raking

The NPR indicates the status or relative rank of a student’s score compared with a nationally representative sample of examinees.

This score is useful for discussing a student’s test results with parents and for determining areas of relative strength and weaknesses for a class, grade, group.

Stanine

GE - Grade EquivalencyA decimal number that describes a student’s location on an achievement continuum in terms of grade and months at which the typical student received this score.

Most useful for tracking growth over time.

Cognitive Abilities Test

Nationally Normed Mental Ability Test

Measures general and specific reasoning abilities in three domains

Abilities reflect the overall efficiency of cognitive processes and strategies that allow individuals to

learn new tasks and solve problems.

CogAT: Cognitive Abilities Test

1st Grade – Teacher paced

3rd Grade – Independent

7th Grade - Independent

CogAT: Cognitive Abilities Test

CogAT: Cognitive Abilities Test

CogAT: So What?

How do we use the scores?

Guiding efforts to adapt instruction to the needs and abilities of the students.

Measuring cognitive development to help identify academically talented students.

Identify students whose predicted levels of achievement differ from levels of academic

achievement.

Iowa Test

Nationally Normed Achievement Test

Identify strengths & weaknessesInform instructionMonitor growth

Determine college readinessMeasure core standards

Implement Response to InterventionInform placement decisions

Make comparisonsEvaluate programs

Predict future performanceSupport accountability

Iowa Test: Achievement

Iowa Test Score Report

Iowa Test Score Report

Provides a measurement of academic achievement.

Provides data on students who may fail the CRCT in the Spring.

Allows teachers to bolster weaknesses and play on strengths.

Iowa Test: So What?

Georgia CRCT

Students mastery of GPS & CCSS

Required by the State of Georgia

Assessment of how well students learned content areas of Reading (CCSS), English Language Arts

(CCSS). Math (CCSS), Science (GPS), Social Studies (GPS).

Provides information on strengths and weaknesses

Measures knowledge taught in Georgia classrooms

CRCT: Criterion Referenced Competency Test

“Gateway” test for:

3rd graders – Reading

5th Graders – Reading & Math

8th Graders – Reading & Math

CRCT: Criterion Referenced Competency Test

Does Not Meet = Below 800Meets = 800 – 849

Exceeds = 850 +

CRCT Scores

On Criterion Referenced Tests a committee (usually consisting of educators, content area specialists, and state administrators) look at a battery of questions matched to the curriculum and for each question they determine if a “minimally competent” student in that subject area would get the question correct or incorrect. After all the items have been examined the committee’s recommendations are taken and used to create “cut scores.” These scores will mark the difference between a student who “Meets” standards or “Does not Meet.”

an example, a math test might have 60 questions with a cut score of 33. This would mean that a student who gets 33 out of 60 questions correct would “Meet” standards while a student who correctly answers 32 out of 60 questions would be classified as “Does Not Meet.” For Criterion Referenced Tests the State of Georgia commissions committees each year to set the cut scores for each assessment. The cut score for a given test might be different depending on the subject, grade, and year.

CRCT: Criterion Referenced

Competency Test

How are we teaching?

How are students learning?

Do students qualify for special programs?

Accountability

CRCT: So What?

What Are Other Standardized Assessments?

GKIDS – Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills

3rd Grade Writing

5th Grade Writing

ACCESS for ELL’s

GAA – Georgia Alternative Assessment

NAEP – National Assessment of Educational Progress

What Does All This Testing Mean?

We have a balanced approach to determine student strengths and weaknesses and plan curriculum and programs based on scores.