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testing

NCLB Act and Proficiency Testing

by NYC Private Schools on November 11, 2009

Many NYC Private School families report that the substandard level of their locally assigned school’s educational programs are the top reason they chose to pull out and instead send their children to a private school. The No Child Left Behind act has changed much of the way public schools think about standardized testing. If their students do not pass the tests, then the school is sanctioned and cannot meet funding needs.

The AC360 newsroom, from CNN.com, recently published a commentary on the NCLB policy and how it is changing public school student proficiency levels.

Schools across the country are lowering standards – actually dumbing down lesson plans – to avoid sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
That act was President George W. Bush’s signature education reform. It mandates that every child in school must be “proficient” in reading and math by 2014 and schools that fall short are subject to sanctions.
Now a new federal study shows that nearly a third of the states lowered academic standards in recent years. Fifteen states in all lowered proficiency standards in fourth and eighth-grade reading or math from 2005 to 2007. Three states – Maine, Oklahoma, and Wyoming – lowered standards in both subjects at both grade levels.

For example, in Mississippi, the state with the least rigorous standards, a score of 163 is considered “proficient” but in Massachusetts, at the top, the bar for proficiency is set at 232. That’s a difference of 69 points. Should your child’s education be determined by zip code?

It is understandable how this domino affect is changing proficiency testing in schools across the nation at the same time that unprecedented budget cuts are taking away supplies, facilities and teachers.

So instead of taking that risk, some schools simply made it easier for the kids to look proficient without really being proficient. Then they get to keep their funding and everybody’s happy, right?
Not exactly says the Obama Administration. It’s been trying to persuade states to adopt a uniform set of tougher standards for education but because education policy is largely controlled at the state level, the federal government can’t impose a set of standards.

Private Schools, because they do not receive government funding, are exempt from having to subject their students to standardized testing and so can concentrate on a whole student education to prepare them for college and university admission.


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Too Young to Test?

by Toby Glick on September 10, 2009

Toby GlickThe New York Times recently brought attention to the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) policy of testing pre-kindergarteners to see who is eligible for the city’s gifted and talented programs. Nurture Shock, a new book by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, points out that pre-school test results are not a solid predictor of future academic excellence and that children should really be tested in second or third grade to have a more accurate and fair picture of who is “gifted.” This is especially true for disadvantaged and learning disabled youngsters who may be highly capable but don’t yet have the requisite language or motor skills to do well on these tests.

Another consideration is that the NYC DOE recently switched to the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test to evaluate youngsters instead of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. While the Otis-Lennon is undoubtedly easier and more economical to give, its format is more challenging for youngsters with attentional issues which would also lower their scores.

Even if the NYC School System acknowledges that waiting would produce more accurate results, it would hesitate to make this change for fear of losing those families who, in looking for a quality education, would opt for private school if their children aren’t chosen. However, the impact of having a child labeled or not labeled “gifted” at such a young age should be considered. There is danger that too much or too little will be expected of some children.

It is important for all parents to realize, but especially parents of children who have a learning or developmental delay, that IQ scores of young children (and older ones also) are not written in stone and are not necessarily predictive. It is so important that the professional who is evaluating the youngster underscores this point. I have seen many reports which list the scores without emphasizing that the score represents a moment in time. A low score most likely does not reflect the true potential of the child. Parents can be devastated by the results until they realize that further testing will give a more accurate picture.

This is why it’s so important to have a skilled and sensitive professional do the testing – one who will report not only the scores but also what they really mean.

About the Contributor: Toby Glick is a regular contributor to the NYC Private Schools Blog in the area of families with special needs.


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NY School Testing Results in Higher Scores, More Arguing

August 7, 2009

Standardized testing results in NY Schools, recently discussed in a NY Times article, focuses much on the dissent among the political and educational professionals and their opinions on the recently released NY Public school’s testing results. Many believe that “teaching to the test” increases grade points but is detrimental to the overall education of our [...]

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