Since the dawn of educational time, school districts across the state have relied on the annual Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) to assess their schools' performance.
(I do believe this test was used solely for the purpose of bragging rights at school administration conferences.)
With the advent of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, however, the stakes have increased exponentially. Now school districts are punished by having poor test results - the punishment - withholding federal tax money. Money that could be used for additional staff training, books, and other educational tools that MAY actually raise test scores.
There are two fundamental problems with the WKCE:
1. The test is given in October. Shouldn't an assessment test be done towards the end of the learning year, and not the beginning?
2. The results of the October test are not released until April or May. Fourth graders not reading at grade level? Oh well, I guess we'll have to do something about it next year. Never mind that we have lost nearly a whole school year in figuring that out!
Many schools are now scrambling to find to alternative assessments, such as the NWEA-MAP, to assess both the district needs, and more importantly, the individual student's needs. RUSD has been using these tests for 2 or 3 years with much success. In fact, this was one of the few "reform-initiatives" that the former superintendent introduced that actually had full support from ALL stakeholders within the district.
What I, as a parent, like most about the NWEA-MAP tests is this:
1. There are taken 3 times a year and the results are nearly immediate - within 24 hours I have a individualized report on my child's results, with special attention paid to the progress made since the last testing.
2. The results are reported with NATIONAL norms, meaning I know how well my child did against other children in the district, state and across the country.
For once, its refreshing to know that RUSD isn't behind the proverbial 8-ball in bringing innovation to its students and teachers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
O.K....I don't want to bust your bubble, but the point that I'd like to make about NWEA-MAP testing is that it is a great tool if it is used properly.
What I mean to say is that those numbers mean nothing if they are not acted upon. For example, my child, when in the 8th grade was in regular math. Yet, my child tested at a 10th grade level for math on the MAP tests. My child remained in regular math even though my child requested to move into the advanced math. Given the test scores it should have happened, but didn't. Where's the student engagement that's supposed to happen?
Likewise, I believe that the opposite scenario probably happens also.
Like I said, NWEA-MAP testing is a good tool if it is used properly.
As you said, the tools are great if you're using them the right way, and of course there will always been flaws (in this case a teacher flaw?).
The gist of what I was trying to convey is this - RUSD is doing something wonderful before many other districts in the state.
How often does that happen?
Post a Comment