Three Reasons to Test Annually
Have you ever had one of “those conversations” where what starts out light and pedestrian becomes heavy, oppositional, and maybe verbally combative? There was a day when these kinds of conversations and exchanges happened only occasionally. But now they happen all the time.
Achievement testing, when required to satisfy state requirements used to be one of those topics that some found triggering and led to arguing. Legal coercion aside, what would be the merits of having a child take an achievement test? Why would someone make this choice, even annually?
Here are three reasons to test:
- Objectivity: The results of an achievement test provide an objective look at how a child is performing when compared to students nationwide. An achievement test helps answer the question, “How is my child doing,” without basing the answer exclusively on feelings, the experience and performance of friends’ children, or curriculum producers.
- Academic Insights: The design, sequencing and expectations of all curricula is not the same at all grade levels. Some curriculum producers are more rigorous, others less so. Nationally normed achievement tests measure academic outcomes commonly taught to students nationwide. The results can be used two ways in this regard. First, as a way to help you know if your student is achieving above or below the national population. Second, to see how your curriculum’s academic objectives compare with objectives nationwide.
- Academic Planning: Did the test reveal deficits in your student’s understanding? Does your child need more instructional time to help them gain mastery in a specific area? Is your curriculum underperforming or is it too rigorous? Does it neglect certain content areas or is it “on target.” Is it time to consider a new publisher? More on this in another article.
Thanks for reading!
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
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