Published: June 23, 2008 08:46 pm         

Costly NCLB tests necessary

EDMOND — The tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act measure students’ performance and help with teaching, but test taking in Oklahoma is bringing problems to area districts.

“While there is some benefit from periodic academic tests that examine our students’ achievement levels within the larger world context (i.e., Iowa Test of Basic Skills, ACT, etc.), I consider the number, scope and frequency of high-stakes student tests required of Oklahoma students — which go beyond what is required by NCLB — to be excessive,” said Edmond Public Schools superintendent David Goin.

Five of the seven tests given at the high school level are state mandated by the Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) legislation enacted by the state legislature, said Linda DeSpain, associate superintendent of curriculum services.

“In addition to the NCLB tests, you test reading and math three times in elementary, three times in middle school and five additional tests on the high school level,” DeSpain said.

“We actually give 27 different tests that are state mandated.”

NCLB only mandates six tests. Students take reading and math tests once in elementary school, once in middle school and once in high school.

“Of most benefit to students are the ongoing classroom assessments that good teachers utilize to inform instruction on a daily basis,” said Edmond Superintendent David Goin.

In Edmond, teachers and district-level subject area specialists have developed benchmark tests and curriculum calendars to help ensure continuity of curriculum and meaningful assessment of students’ content mastery, Goin said.

“The state of Oklahoma is responsible for test development, and our Legislature has chosen to test students at more grade levels and subject areas than required by NCLB.”

Although the state provides direction and testing costs for the exams, there are other costs involved in the testing that the school districts must pay, including the costs of test administrations.

“The cost to the district is in the manpower needed to coordinate the testing program,” said Rebecca Wilkinson, superintendent of Deer Creek Public Schools.

“It is a significant amount of time needed from our curriculum department and from the school sites to coordinate the testing effectively. In addition the number of exams has grown significantly over the past few years.”

Goin agreed and said in addition to the employee time required for administering pencil-paper and online tests, the costs associated with technology are substantial and will increase in the coming year as districts gear up for a move from two to seven online high school end-of-instruction tests.

Last year the state of Oklahoma provided a one-time supplement to assist with additional technology required to fulfill test mandates, but the lion’s share of costs are borne locally, Goin said.

“We estimate that the cost in man-hours of technology staff required this year approached $25,000.”

Implementation for testing involves teacher, counselor, site administrator and district level personnel time.

“For pencil-paper tests, the handling of documents is personnel intensive — from counting and coding tests prior to administration, ensuring test security, monitoring tests during administration and packaging for their return to be scored,” Goin said.

In addition to numerous parents and community volunteers who are used to serve as “test monitors,” districts also have to secure temporary help at an additional cost to the school district.

“We were told that North gave over 7,000 tests last year,” DeSpain said. “Security is of the utmost. We have people that count out the tests, monitor the tests, take them up each day and count them.

“At the elementary school level we usually have enough volunteers to help, but at the middle school and high school levels we don’t have enough volunteers and we have to hire people to help the teachers.”

Provisions have to be made for “make up” testing of students who are absent during the regular administration as well as later re-administration of tests to students who have failed. For all tests taken, the subsequent receipt of preliminary results requires additional employee time and careful review to ensure data accuracy, Goin said.

Wilkinson said the Deer Creek schools use the testing results each year to monitor student progress as well as to evaluate the instructional programs.

“Our state and our district both had already implemented testing procedures before the onset of NCLB,” Wilkinson said. “We use the data provided from testing for accountability and planning purposes, along with other data that we collect.”

Although Goin said he has concerns about the law’s emphasis of singular test outcomes and the additional layers of testing that has been added due to legislative action in Oklahoma, NCLB has prompted schools to examine more closely their mission of academic success for all students.

“I have great confidence in the competence and passion of our professional educators to meet difficult challenges,” Goin said. “Our goal, while honoring the core curriculum and overall narrow focus of NCLB, is also to engage the larger work of ensuring Edmond youth obtain well-rounded educational experiences that will equip them for success in life.”

GO TO www.edmondsun or go by the Edmond Schools Administration Building, 1001 W. Danforth, to see how schools ranked in the Benchmark scoring percentages.

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.