Column: National test allows comparisons between states
Fox Network recently debuted "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" Though I have always had a desire to be on a game show, either as a host or a contestant, I will not be participating.
If you are reading this wondering if you are smarter than the average fifth-grader, you can try out for the show, spend a day in a classroom or check out "The Nation's Report Card."
When we hear on the news phrases such as 50 percent of fourth-graders know which state capital is nearest the 40th parallel, that data is generated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
NAEP is a test given to randomly selected fourth-, eighth-, and 12th-graders each year across the country. Your child may be selected this winter or spring to take the test. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics.
NAEP tests have been given to students since 1969, in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography and the arts.
NAEP allows comparisons of student performance to be made across the country. State standardized tests, such as the Connecticut Mastery Tests, are based on a state's individual learning frameworks and do not allow for state-to-state comparisons. NAEP is based on national standards developed by the National Center for Education Statistics.
These national standards that allow for national testing let people make several important comparisons. It lets one state compare results with another state that possesses similar means. It allows for state comparisons within a given region of the country. Most importantly, it allows parents, educators and politicians to identify whether their students are progressing at the same pace as the rest of the country.
Many parents ask what NAEP means for their child. It does not report individual school or student scores. Its purpose is to report results for the country.
When a student is selected to take the test, that child represents about 7,000 students nationwide. A selected student symbolizes students in a state attending schools with similar characteristics. State boards of education and state legislatures use the test results to plan programs to address specific deficiencies in their state.
NAEP participation also may have an impact on federal funding a state receives. The test helps to make certain state frameworks and district curriculums are appropriate. Its results help our federal government make the best decisions possible for the future of education.
Sample questions and archived results can be found at www.nationsreportcard.gov and nces.ed.gov.
No comments:
Post a Comment