Misty Beair Special Education Director Wayne Community Schools
Slide 2 Slide 3 Slide 4 Slide 5 Slide 6 Slide 7 Dont 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!!
Slide 8 Most kids didnt care about testing because Tests were done
to them not for them We tested kids to know how the teachers were
doing Results were not shared in a timely manner Parents were
confused on the purpose of each of the tests their children were
involved in so it wasnt being talked about at home. Slide 9 Despite
my excitement for MAP testing kids still were not buying in. Time
to go back to the drawing board What was our purpose? How do we
make kids WANT to test Slide 10 We spent a significant amount of
time defining our purpose for every assessment that we give. That
information was relayed to teachers, parents, community members AND
our students!! Our best investment of time has been educating our
students!!! Slide 11 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 Slide 12 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 Slide 13 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. Slide 14 Slide 15 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!!! Slide 16 Immediate feedback Intrinsic
Motivation Kids want to beat their high score Teachers have a quick
and easy reference card Slide 17 Slide 18 Slide 19 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! Slide 20 Testing a child
will never increase their knowledge, just like measuring them wont
make them taller. What testing does do is measure progress over
time. Monitoring a childs progress is the most effective way to
know if we are giving them what they need to grow.
