High Stakes Testing, Now What?

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High Stakes Testing, Now What?

• Georgia Mathematics Conference
• October 18, 2001
• Anne Bowen, Awtrey Middle School
• Marj Economopoulos, Kennesaw State University

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High Stakes Testing

• Introductions
• High stakes, how did we get here?
• Data analysis of a strategy
• Integrated test prep
• Build Mathematical Confidence
• Build Teacher Confidence
• Other ideas, implementations

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Multiple Choice
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Multiple Choice
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Who Are We?

• The presenters participants
• Years of teaching
• NCTM aware
• Conscientious
• Concerned
• Hesitant
• Pressured

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How did we get here?

• Society pressures
• Global economy
• Accountability
• Failing schools
• Pressures to compare, measure
• Success for students
• Business needs literate workers
• Information Age demands

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What are we testing?

• Do we test what we value?
• Do we value what we test?

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Testing Reform
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Authentic Assessment
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Classes Spent on Testing?

• Standardized tests in one 6th grade
• SAT9 1.5 block4 days 1st wk 3412
• OTIS 1.5 block3 days 2nd wk 33 9
• CRCT 1.5 block2 days 3rd wk 32 6
• ---------

Class periods 27
One class equivalent to 45 min
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How about Test Prep?

• Consider the ramifications
• Class periods testing 27
• Class periods prepping ?
• When do we teach? What if?

One class equivalent to 45 min
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What if? Some data

• What if one teacher does not drill practice
  test prep?
• 3 years of data (ITBS)

Compare Other classes 2 weeks prep Anne NOT
specific test prep (continued teaching)
1.2 to 1.3 gain 1.2 to 1.3 gain
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Do NO HARM!

• As measured by standardized tests

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Do SOME GOOD!

• As measured by NCTM standards
• Build mathematical
• confidence and
• problem solving
• skills

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The Problem w/ Textbooks

• Sold all over country, Calif/TX drive
• Too much material, EVERYTHING
• Repetition, drill kill
• First half (or more) is review
• Small increments (objectives)
• Alignment with curriculum 40
• 95 of us are textbook teachers

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Integrated Test Prep

• Some strategies to enhance student mathematical
  success
• Less is more
• Estimation spaced practice
• Patterns
• Mathematically speaking, vocabulary
• Varied formats
• Problem solving

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Less is More

• Interdisciplinary projects
• Share the wealth, e.g., Science metrics, SS
  graphs
• Double dip when possible
• Reinforce, collaborate

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Less is More

• Select, combine, condense
• Know what is taught before after (vertical
  alignment)
• Move content earlier (use probability to
  practice apply fractions)
• Do Geometry sooner, its fun AND its on the
  test
• Integers reinforce ,-,,/ with whole numbers, do
  them instead

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Estimation

• Help students make meaning
• Is that a reasonable answer?
• Rounding off, rounding up, strategies
• Approximately what should the answer be?
• Does it make sense?

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Spaced Practice

• In warm-ups, practice, review (short)
• Games to reinforce
• 5-minute timed tests, no risk/grade
• Students chart improvement
• Use skills in context
• Calculator plays a role (when to use, when not to
  use, students discuss)

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Patterns

• Find patterns Multiplication tables
• Use patterns 1/2 is same! (less work)
• Hundreds boards
• Self improvement
• Relate to estimation
• Relate to everything

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Mathematically Speaking

• Use good math terminology exclusively!
• 11.5 is eleven and five tenths, YES, also
  written 11 5/10
• Connect language to meaning and symbols to
  language
• Speak in mathematical sentences
• Be precise

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Building Mathl Vocabulary

• Insist that students are precise and speak in
  mathl language
• Help build students mathl language
• Buzz Words
• Card Games--Concentration Old Maid
• 16 Square Vocabulary
• I Have, Who Has?
• Hundreds Boards

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Varied Formats

• Simulate some test formats
• Some multiple choice
• Some scantrons during year
• All of these except,
• Show reasoning, explain in words ...

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Varied Formats

• Horizontal display
• 130 5 _____
• Find the sum of 84.34 and 67.235
• How much is 46 minus 28.78
• How much more than 100.90 is 115.00?

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Varied Formats

• Enrich students understandings
• Phrase questions in different ways
• Alw, also find width, if you know Area length
• What is the largest pyramid that can be
  made from 26 blocks?
• What is the largest remainder when dividing
  by 8?

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Problem Solving

• Keep emphasis on real-world problem solving
• Applications
• Relevance to students
• Relate to estimations, reasonableness
• Relate mathematics to EVERYTHING

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Build Mathematical Confidence

• Give students opportunities to succeed
• Emphasize process, not JUST answers
• Show work, show reasoning, explain in sentences,
  journals, talking, groups
• Give students rubrics in advance
• Clear expectations
• No surprises

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Build Mathematical Confidence

• Ask questions instead of giving answers
• Have students do the same, talk it out
• Cooperative groups give opportunities
• Computers, varied learning environments also
  useful
• Projects, showcase work

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Build Teacher Confidence

• Do NO HARM!
• Do Some Good, NCTM practices
• Students build confidence
• Teachers build confidence

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Next Steps

• The tests are here to stay
• Work for better tests/assessments
• Best practice produces good results
• Explain to stakeholders principals, parents,
  politicians
• Hold PTA Math nights, speak at clubs

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Next Steps

• Resist pressure to do what doesnt make sense
• Response to low test scores is to teach
  reasoning, problem solving
• Become pro-active instead of
  re-active

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Sharing Other Experiences

• Comments
• Strategies
• Suggestions