ITBS vs Stanford

[Staceyshoe]

I'm starting to think about end-of-the-year assessment. We are required to do a standardized test, and I'm trying to decide between ITBS and Stanford. I'd like to continue doing the same test every year for consistency's sake. Is it possible for me to proctor both of these tests? How do they compare? (I'm trying to make a decision, but I'm really not even sure what factors I should weigh.) Advice?

[GoVanGogh]

I am certified to give the ITBS. You need a college degree - diploma or transcript - to get certified.

I have given it to my homeschool student twice now. I have a love/hate relationship with it. :tongue_smilie:

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask.

[almondbutterandjelly]

What about the CAT test? You can get it for $25 from Christian Liberty Press, and you can proctor it yourself. Plus, there is an online option, which I love, as I like the instant test results. You can take it over the course of a few days, and once every section is complete, scores go right to your email.

 

I think Setontesting also offers the CAT test.

[Harriet Vane]

I have done the ITBS simply because it is timed and the Stanford is not. Timed tests are easier to administer IMHO and a better measure.

[MeganW]

I researched this thoroughly at one point, but for some reason this is all have in my notes:

 

"Beginning in 3rd grade, give Iowa Test of Basic Skills; Stanford & CAT are distant 2nd & 3rd options."

 

Sorry I don't have reasons cited.

[Dmmetler]

What's used in your area? In mine, the SAT-10 seems to be the test of choice for private schools, and no one uses the ITBS, so I did the SAT-10 last year because if DD returns to traditional schools later, they're more used to seeing those scores. It also made doing a group administration possible, which seems to work better for DD (probably because of the sheer novelty of it).

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I'm starting to think about end-of-the-year assessment. We are required to do a standardized test, and I'm trying to decide between ITBS and Stanford. I'd like to continue doing the same test every year for consistency's sake. Is it possible for me to proctor both of these tests? How do they compare? (I'm trying to make a decision, but I'm really not even sure what factors I should weigh.) Advice?

 

I think that in order to test your own child with Stanford, you have to be testing a group that includes a certain number of non-related students. I don't know if ITBS has a similar requirement. CAT can definitely be given to your own child.

 

We did Stanford and CAT last year. I found that the scores were pretty similar. The Stanford results sheet was more detailed. However, since I had a chance to go over the CAT and look at his answers, I did have a good understanding of what he'd gotten wrong.

 

It was helpful to me with my then 3rd grader that Stanford was untimed. His reading skills last year were low, which impacted every other section of the test. The fact that his proctor was able to let him take all the time he needed on subjects like science and math meant that I had a better sense of what he really knew in those areas, not just what he could answer in a specific period of time. (It also helped that his first test experience wasn't one that made him feel especially dumb because he had to leave a lot blank.)

[watertribe]

How do you find out where the Stanford test is given? Anyone have a link? I looked around but didn't see anything.

[Embassy]

I gave the Stanford last school year. You can administer it to your own children now. You just need to go through certification which involves submitting proof of a college degree and go through video training or demonstrate experience giving standardized tests.

 

I'll probably give the ITBS this year and give the Stanford the year after that. I'm not sure what I'll do with my 2nd grader yet though. I don't want to have a test where I need to read most of the test because it didn't give an accurate picture of his skills.

[MinivanMom]

What's used in your area? In mine, the SAT-10 seems to be the test of choice for private schools, and no one uses the ITBS, so I did the SAT-10 last year because if DD returns to traditional schools later, they're more used to seeing those scores. It also made doing a group administration possible, which seems to work better for DD (probably because of the sheer novelty of it).

 

This is very important. We are also required to test in our state. Public schools use their own end-of-grade testing here instead of standardized tests, but they use the ITBS for gifted testing. It is the only standardized test that public school principals in our area are used to seeing. ITBS is also the test used by most of the private schools in our area. We really only test to meet our state requirement and to have some backup to Mommy-grades if we ever had to enroll them in an institutional school, so it made sense to go with the test that is most common in our area and would make that transition easiest.

 

It is also my understanding that ITBS is easier to give in a home setting than SAT-10. Iowa only requires that the parent have a college degree, you can give it to your own children, and you can give it to all of your children at the same time if they are testing in grades 3-8.

[MeganW]

I'll probably give the ITBS this year and give the Stanford the year after that.

 

Why would you switch? I had assumed that I would pick one, and use the same one every year so I could compare from year to year to see progress. Is that not the way I should think about it? Is one better for younger years and the other older? THANKS!

[Embassy]

Why would you switch? I had assumed that I would pick one, and use the same one every year so I could compare from year to year to see progress. Is that not the way I should think about it? Is one better for younger years and the other older? THANKS!

 

To give practice with different tests.

To have another set of "eyes."

To give practice with timed and untimed tests.

For analysis and synthesis of results. (i.e. Why are reading scores significantly higher on the ITBS than the Stanford? Have skills increased or are they testing the same concepts differently?)

[Dmmetler]

How do you find out where the Stanford test is given? Anyone have a link? I looked around but didn't see anything.

 

 

Here's the service we used last year, but I don't think they've got this year's schedule up yet.

 

http://cctestingservices.com/homeschool.html

[MeganW]

To give practice with different tests.

To have another set of "eyes."

To give practice with timed and untimed tests.

For analysis and synthesis of results. (i.e. Why are reading scores significantly higher on the ITBS than the Stanford? Have skills increased or are they testing the same concepts differently?)

 

Gotcha - makes sense. So would you go back and forth then, ITBS on even numbered years and Stanford on odds, or something like that?

[Staceyshoe]

To give practice with different tests.

To have another set of "eyes."

To give practice with timed and untimed tests.

For analysis and synthesis of results. (i.e. Why are reading scores significantly higher on the ITBS than the Stanford? Have skills increased or are they testing the same concepts differently?)

 

Interesting! I was wanting to use the same test each year, but now I'm re-thinking that. Do the scores seem to be comparable between ITBS and Stanford? (I recall someone mentioning last year that they thought ITBS was more rigorous, but I have no experience with either test.)

[Embassy]

Gotcha - makes sense. So would you go back and forth then, ITBS on even numbered years and Stanford on odds, or something like that?

 

Yes, that is what I am thinking.

 

Interesting! I was wanting to use the same test each year, but now I'm re-thinking that. Do the scores seem to be comparable between ITBS and Stanford? (I recall someone mentioning last year that they thought ITBS was more rigorous, but I have no experience with either test.)

 

I don't think you can compare them directly because they have different norms. I do think you may be able to glean more information by giving different tests. My purpose for testing is to gain information and to have something official to demonstrate that my kids are learning something because we have no regulations where we live. If you want to demonstrate progress from year to year it would make sense to use the same test. I can only demonstrate progress every other year by alternating tests.