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The preferred method of educational assessment these days is the standardized test. Although your child is only beginning to enter the world of standardized tests, it is wise to inform yourself now about what will certainly become a routine part of your child’s school experience. Test results are used as a measure of school performance and also can direct curriculum changes, funding and school accreditation. On the individual level, test scores can determine if a student advances to the next grade level, is placed in special programs or graduates from grade school and high school. Standardized tests can be a valuable assessment tool if properly interpreted. They can indicate positive and negative patterns for schools as a whole, as well as for specific groups of students (males/females, ESL students, etc.). These tests can help identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses in various subject areas. However, standardized tests do have flaws, so you should not interpret test results as a measure of your child’s overall intelligence. There are two major types of standardized tests. Aptitude tests predict how a student is likely to perform in a future educational setting. Achievement tests measure how much a student has already learned in specific subject areas. At this early educational stage, your child will be taking achievement tests. For young children, the test results reflect basic skill development and preparation for the academic environment. You should not interpret the scores as a measure of your child’s readiness for school or reading. As you attempt to familiarize yourself with the system, a good first step is to sit down with your child’s teacher or principal and discuss what role standardized tests will play at this point in your child’s education. Specifically, you should ask which tests your child will be taking and what the results will be used to determine. Also question how much class time will be devoted to test preparation and what steps you can take to help your child be better prepared. To help you begin your inquiry, here is a brief overview of several widely used standardized tests. How much do you know about the particular test your child is taking? Read on for a brief overview of some commonly used standardized tests. California Achievement Tests (CAT) This test series measures achievement in basic skills for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The test is administered nationwide and covers reading, language, spelling, mathematics, study skills, science and social studies. There is also a Writing Assessment System, which can be used in conjunction with the multiple-choice sequence. Stanford Achievement Test - 9th version (Stanford 9/SAT-9) This widely used K-12 assessment offers both multiple-choice and open-ended components to provide depth to your child’s results. The test is formatted according to an “easy-hard-easy” structure that surrounds difficult questions with easier ones. Results can be compared with the U.S. student population. Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) The ITBS is specialized by grade level for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. To help younger students get started, there is a practice page with six questions that precedes the actual test. For the primary grades, this test measures skills in vocabulary, word analysis, reading comprehension, listening, language, mathematics, social studies, science and sources of information. By Heidi K. Neuzil |
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