Level 6 or 7 ITBS/Scoring High Test prep Book 1

[WIS0320]

I'm starting to wonder about this as I'd planned on Level 7 for testing at the end of first grade. We have begun occasionally using the Scoring High Book 1 for the ITBS 7 that corresponds with test for practice. I thought we'd use some prep tests a couple times per month from now until the spring so she knows what to expect in May as she's never had a standardized test before and that is how we are reporting to our state.

 

I opened up to the vocabulary section today and my 6 year old was expected to read on her own:

 

"Something that can hurt is..."

 

a. dangerous

b. crowded

c. interesting

d. tricky

 

She's reading on grade level and making good progress but there is no way she is able to read words like "dangerous" or "interesting" at this point. Obviously we are only 4 months in to first grade and I am not expecting her to be able to complete the test with accuracy at this point but looking ahead to what the ITBS may potentially measure in May, well I do not see that she'll be reading on that level by then.

 

It is a shame because she knows the meaning of those words and easily knew the correct answers when we did the section orally together. She is a bright kid and a hard worker. I'm not really sure what to think about this practice book though and if it is really on level with what is expected on the actual test.

 

 

Have you used the Level 6 or Level 7 test for end of first grade?

[grace'smom]

:lurk5: I am trying to decide whether to use the ITBS or the CAT in the spring. Can you read her the questions for ITBS? Is the CAT an option? I think the CAT is supposed to be less intense... But I can't say why I think that so I could be completely wrong.

[FairProspects]

I've always heard that Level of ITBS roughly equates to age when grade was completed. So, most students are 7 by the time they finish 1st grade so Level 7 is *generally* considered the 1st grade test. If your dd will only be 6 in April/May when she tests, I would give her the Level 6 test. I wish I had gone down a level to 5 the first year I gave the ITBS, but I didn't understand that the Levels correlated more closely to age than grade level.

[WIS0320]

I've always heard that Level of ITBS roughly equates to age when grade was completed. So, most students are 7 by the time they finish 1st grade so Level 7 is *generally* considered the 1st grade test. If your dd will only be 6 in April/May when she tests, I would give her the Level 6 test. I wish I had gone down a level to 5 the first year I gave the ITBS, but I didn't understand that the Levels correlated more closely to age than grade level.

 

She will still be 6 in May. She has a late summer birthday so she is always on the younger end of the age spectrum if sorting by the traditional grade/age cut offs for public school.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[Momling]

Also... keep in mind that norm referenced standardized tests (and thus test prep materials) are not achievement tests where students are being tested on material they have (or should have) mastered. The ITBS test questions should be more difficult than typical for the level being tested or else a lot of kids will be at the ceiling. It's okay for your child not to be able to answer some of the questions. It's not statistically possible for all children to score in the 99th %ile and all children to be 'above grade level'.

[abbeyej]

Most of the subtests are read aloud for kids (at those levels). You might choose to have her take the level 6 test instead of the level 7 this year, since the level 6 test only requires kids to read the "Reading" section, but level 7 has them read both the "Reading" and "Vocabulary" sections. Everything else is read aloud for kids. It would also be an appropriate choice to do level 6 since, as someone else pointed out, the levels are meant to correlate roughly to age.

 

The biggest leap is from the level 8 test (where all but the Reading and Vocabulary subtests are read aloud for kids) to the level 9 test (where kids read the entire test to themselves, except for the listening section). Personally, I've found that I prefer to wait and start testing when my kids are ready for the level 9 (3rd grade) test -- but I certainly understand beginning testing sooner if it's the best way of fulfilling a state requirement.

 

If you decide later on to skip a level (say, from 7 to 9, or whatever), that's a perfectly reasonable choice to make. I would rather start her with the lower-level test (6) and give her the chance to be successful and not feel overwhelmed by her first testing experience.