Update on Initial Tests

October 9, 2009 | Posted in: Class Updates

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Wondering when you’re going to hear the results from the recent assessments?  Here’s an update.

Math Assessment

Over the summer, we upgraded to the newest edition of our Everyday Mathematics program.  Although the changes are very slight, I do like how it updates some of the activities to better support students.  One more significant change is how the new edition assesses students at the end of each unit.  There’s a greater focus on higher-level thinking skills, which I think is great.  Also, the test is divided up into two sections that distinguish between fundamental skills that students should be comfortable with having completed the unit, and developing skills that may still be a challenge for students.

This change in assessment format posed a challenge for us in how we inform parents about student performance.  Our old math cards (the ones with six units per side and checkmarks that show whether a student was in the B, D, or S range for each skill) do not fit with the new assessments, so earlier this week, a team of teachers from PGS and RBS met to develop new protocols and communication methods for filling parents in.  I’ve held off on sharing math results with you in hopes that we would have a new system ready, and I’m glad to say that we do!  The math profiles are still in draft form, but I want to make sure that you get the results, so I’ll be filling them out ASAP for each student and sending them home.  I have a wedding this weekend, so I’m not sure if I’ll get to it before Monday.

Writing Prompt

Score reports for the first writing prompt are going home today.  Students’ writing pieces are evaluated by a pair of teachers to ensure consistency of expectations.  (Inter-rater reliability, for all the data hounds out there!)  This is why there is a delay in sharing the writing prompt scores.  Each teacher uses a six-point rubric (available in the Parent Resources section of this site), and the scores are then combined to give a total score out of 12 points.  The passing grade is 8/12 points, however I don’t want to you think that your child FAILED if he or she received under eight points.  Rather, he or she hasn’t yet reached the proficiency level.  We will continue to work on writing skills throughout the year.  The score sheets that I send home include a brief explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of your child’s writing.  I have the actual writing prompts here and will be happy to share them with you at conferences.  (Getting close to report card season now!)