Too much testing? Interim superintendent weighs in on standardized tests
by Julie Rooney/Enterprise staff writer
Published: April 3, 2007

How much do you know about the CST or CELDT? Who takes the ACT? Will the SAT suffice?
 
Are students taking too many tests? Davis High School administrators tackle the topic at a parent information night, "Too Much Testing: A Dialogue Between Parents and Educators," from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in the high school's library. Everything from the STAR test to the new high school exit exam will be discussed.
 
As a preview to Wednesday night's forum, "Too Much Testing?" The Enterprise asked Richard Whitmore the Davis school district's interim superintendent, to share his thoughts on testing.
 
Whitmore worked with the state Department of Education from 2001 to 2003 as chief policy adviser, and from 1995 to 2000 as chief deputy superintendent, leading several school accountability initiatives and working on curriculum standards.
 
He also was involved in developing state plans for interventions in low-performing schools and implementing the federal "No Child Left Behind" Act.
 
Q. What is the value of standardized assessments?
 
A. Standardized assessments tell us — by child, by classroom, by school and by district — if certain content is being delivered successfully to the students taking the test. They are not the most refined instruments, and usually are not "performance based" assessments in the sense that a good writing prompt is. But they are cheap to administer, quick to score, and can provide useful feedback throughout a school district — or a state, for that matter — on what's been taught and what's been learned.
 
Q. What are the consequences of parents opting their students out of testing?
 
A. The STAR tests, which include the California Standards Tests, are the tests that usually bear the brunt of parent opt-outs. The tests are not high stakes for an individual student in the way an AP test or SAT is — the STAR test has no meaning for that student's future. And of course the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) is now among the highest stakes of all: no diploma without it! If the curriculum is aligned with the test blueprint — that is, if all the standards that the test covers have also been covered in the class — then the test should be relatively stress-free for the student. I would argue that it might be less stressful than a normal day of school with a normal load of homework for many of our high school students.
 
The STAR tests are, however, high stakes for the school. The API score is the object of fascination for school administrators, who often compare high-performing schools with each other, and for real estate agents who like to tout the scores in their brochures. They are also high stakes for Title I schools, where without a strong performance by their general student population and all their significant subgroups, the school will be subject to sanctions. By opting students out, the school may not be getting an accurate measure of its performance. The school administration also will not have a full set of data to consider whether or not its curricula are adequately covering the subject matter being tested.
 
Q. Some students are simply poor test takers. What can you do for those students?
 
A. Good teachers prepare their students for standardized tests in subtle ways throughout the year. Homework that has the same look and feel as the standardized tests is a strategy I've seen used with great success. Checking your content coverage against the testing blueprint is something that teachers and site administrators should be doing, and in the elementary grades there are tests built into the instructional materials that do just that. Reducing the stress around the tests — especially the tests that are low stakes for students — is also important. No second-grader should arrive at school scared of "the test."
 
Q. Since the SAT is required by most colleges, is there a way for students to improve test-taking skills beyond simply knowing the material?
 
A. On the SAT, remember it is the Scholastic Aptitude Test. It's not a content knowledge test, it's an aptitude test. That's why you see students with grades that may be mediocre but board scores that look great. They're not great students, but they are good test takers and have an aptitude beyond their actual performance in the classroom. So aptitude, and maybe some test-taking strategies, are the most important factors in the SAT.
 
Q. Does the present assessment schedule overload students?
 
A. Juniors in high school do not have the easiest springtime. STAR, AP exams, SATs, SAT IIs (a University of California requirement), and possibly ACTs are all loaded into a two- to four-month-long window. If the students have any other academic or extracurricular commitments, the scheduling issues become nightmarish. Does it overload students? Most seem to survive running this testing gauntlet. Is it designed for optimal performance and aligned with their needs? Probably the system could do a better job of this.
 
Q. How could the system be adjusted to avoid this?
 
A. There are some easy fixes that have been floated around policy circles for years. If you're taking the AP exam in U.S. History, do you really need the STAR exam in U.S. History on top of that? Can we presume a level of proficiency based on your AP score? Can the CAHSEE be embedded in the sophomore STAR testing? Can we handle the aptitude tests in some less stressful manner? What's the real purpose of the SAT II in determining eligibility for UC? The more aligned the content is that you're trying to measure, the more aligned the tests can be and multiple goals can be reached with a single administration of a test.
 
Q. How can Davis parents and educators advocate for such a change?
 
A. Talk to your legislators! They are responsible for our current testing system. And don't forget the College Board. A July administration of the SAT would be a nice option for some of our juniors, for instance. A few Saturdays a year is all that's available today.
 
— Reach Julie Rooney at jrooney@davisenterprise.net or 747-8051.

Copyright, 2007, The Davis Enterprise. All Rights Reserved.