State tests influence instruction
The state recently released the results of its math and ELA tests for grades 3-8. There’s a tendency to compare the performance of neighboring districts, but the tests have another function. “They’re absolutely helpful,” Megan Argenio tells us. She’s the assistant superintendent for instruction for the Cornwall Central School District. She adds that the tests are both “summative and formative.”
We’re not familiar with those terms, so we ask for an explanation. Mrs. Argenio tells us that the tests are summative because they measure what students have learned during the year, and they’re formative because they affect instruction for the next year.
The results impact lesson plans, because they show the areas where individuals or classes need help. For example, if students have difficulty with verbal problems in math, you can assume those problems will be emphasized in the following year’s curriculum.
Cornwall’s superintendent, Neal Miller, has been pleased with his district’s showing, but he doesn’t dwell on it. “Congratulations,” he’ll say to the staff at an end-of-year meeting. “We can celebrate, but now let’s see if we can get better.”
One way the district tries to improve is by monitoring classroom data and on-line Star Assessments to see where students need help. “We have a lot of vertical conversations,” Mrs. Argenio says.
It takes us a moment to catch on. She means that staff members are conferring with their counterparts in higher or lower grades. She elaborates by saying, “There’s a lot of teamwork. Teachers really want to help each other.”
Not every student is taking the state tests. The federal government is looking for 95 percent compliance, but most New York districts are far below that.
The state has tried to increase participation by removing the time limit for the tests and by having teachers write the questions. In the past, the tests were prepared by an outside company.
In Cornwall, the number of opt-outs decreased for a few years and then leveled off. It’s hard to characterize the students who are skipping the assessments. Mrs. Argenio says there’s a mixture. Some would do very well on the tests while others would struggle.
But these youngsters are not slipping between the cracks. They’re taking other assessments during the year, and the district knows their strengths and weaknesses.
