Picking a Standardized Test Level for Asynchronous Kiddo?

[Crimson Wife]

If you were going to be testing for your own reference/planning purposes only and did not have to submit the scores officially to anyone, which level test would you choose for a student who is working at very different grade levels for math & LA?

 

Would you pick the level most appropriate for the weaker subject even though the student would presumably ceiling in the stronger subject?

 

Would you pick the level most appropriate for the stronger subject and then do testing accommodations to make the weaker subject untimed? The student probably could solve the majority of test questions asked at the higher level if given unlimited time.

 

Would you go ahead and get both levels? If you would, would you give both subjects at each level or just the relevant one for each?

[2smartones]

:lurk5:

 

Good question........ Ideally, I'd administer a test myself so that I could modify anything I wanted. Are you talking about having someone else administer the test though? What tests have you considered using? How frustrated would your child be if you used the harder test, knowing he/she wouldn't be able to do the math section?

 

I guess I'd ask myself what I really wanted to learn from the results. Why am I testing in the first place?

[Dmmetler]

I would not modify a standardized test that someone else will be scoring without an IEP, even if you don't think you'll be using the scores for anything but your own information, simply because that's breaking the rules of the test. I would, though, consider ordering both tests, and giving the LA of one and the Math from the other, which would, together, give a valid picture of the child's skills, should I NEED to report them (like if the ideal school opened up a half block away and I wanted to send my DC there).

[Miss Marple]

When I was in that position, I decided which subject I was most interested in learning about. My son scored 99 percentile in math for many years (ITBS). But I *knew* he was good in math and I really didn't care how good. While he still tested over grade level for LA, I felt that it was his weaker subject so I picked the level based on that. For all his elementary grades we tested at least 1 or 2 grade levels ahead of his stated age/grade level. I found it helpful for planning the next year's curriculum.

[EKS]

I used the PASS test from Hewitt when my son was in this position. In his case he also needed everything untimed (not just areas of weakness). With the PASS test, the student takes a pretest that shows what test she should use. So the first year my son used level 7 math (essentially equivalent to grade 7), level 5 reading, and level 3 language. One problem with the PASS test is that the highest level (at least for the math) is 9.

 

Another option might be the Stanford Achievement Test. It is untimed but you have to pick one level for everything.

 

Another option, if you can get access to it, is the MAP. It is untimed and it adapts to the student, allowing her to keep answering harder questions until she gets a certain number wrong.

 

Wherever possible, I prefer to use untimed tests, where all test takers are untimed, over providing extenede time accommodations.

[EKS]

I would not modify a standardized test that someone else will be scoring without an IEP, even if you don't think you'll be using the scores for anything but your own information, simply because that's breaking the rules of the test.

 

A 504 plan would also work.

 

I would, though, consider ordering both tests, and giving the LA of one and the Math from the other, which would, together, give a valid picture of the child's skills, should I NEED to report them (like if the ideal school opened up a half block away and I wanted to send my DC there).

 

This is another good idea, though it would cost twice as much and you wouldn't get a core or composite total (at least with the ITBS).

[Iucounu]

If money was a consideration, I'd probably give unlimited time in the less advanced area, since it'd just be for personal reference. If cost was no object, I'd get both.

[Crimson Wife]

Another option might be the Stanford Achievement Test. It is untimed but you have to pick one level for everything.

 

I didn't realize that the Stanford was untimed. I just assumed that it was timed like the Iowa (what I'd been thinking of giving) or the CAT. That makes the choice easy- the Stanford at the higher level.

 

The primary motivation for me in testing is to find gaps in oldest DD's knowledge. The last time she did the ITBS, I realized she needed more work on punctuation & capitalization in LA and estimation in math.

 

A secondary motivation is that DH has very much a "schoolish" mindset (his parents are both retired teachers and he had 13 years of very traditional Catholic education growing up) and he insists on good test scores as a prerequisite for okaying HS another year. :rolleyes:

[JeanM]

I used the PASS test from Hewitt when my son was in this position. In his case he also needed everything untimed (not just areas of weakness). With the PASS test, the student takes a pretest that shows what test she should use. So the first year my son used level 7 math (essentially equivalent to grade 7), level 5 reading, and level 3 language. One problem with the PASS test is that the highest level (at least for the math) is 9.

 

Another option might be the Stanford Achievement Test. It is untimed but you have to pick one level for everything.

 

Another option, if you can get access to it, is the MAP. It is untimed and it adapts to the student, allowing her to keep answering harder questions until she gets a certain number wrong.

 

Wherever possible, I prefer to use untimed tests, where all test takers are untimed, over providing extenede time accommodations.

 

:iagree: The PASS test allows different levels for different subjects.

[jenbrdsly]

I didn't realize that the Stanford was untimed. I just assumed that it was timed like the Iowa (what I'd been thinking of giving) or the CAT. That makes the choice easy- the Stanford at the higher level.

 

The primary motivation for me in testing is to find gaps in oldest DD's knowledge. The last time she did the ITBS, I realized she needed more work on punctuation & capitalization in LA and estimation in math.

 

A secondary motivation is that DH has very much a "schoolish" mindset (his parents are both retired teachers and he had 13 years of very traditional Catholic education growing up) and he insists on good test scores as a prerequisite for okaying HS another year. :rolleyes:

 

I don't remember the SAT 9 being untimed, but I could be wrong. I'm always getting it mixed up with the STAR test. So really, I'm no help! :tongue_smilie:

 

But it is true that you can request untimed tests on either a 504 plan or an IEP.

[EKS]

A secondary motivation is that DH has very much a "schoolish" mindset (his parents are both retired teachers and he had 13 years of very traditional Catholic education growing up) and he insists on good test scores as a prerequisite for okaying HS another year. :rolleyes:

 

If this is the case, you might want to get two sets of scores. I've done this through BJU with the ITBS, and I'm hoping I can do the same with the Stanford this year. You can get the test machine scored as though your child were in the higher grade. So, if she takes the 7th grade test, it would report the percentiles as compared to 7th graders which will help you discover gaps as well as strengths. But for nervous relatives, you can get a second score sheet that reports the percentiles as compared to age peers (4th graders or whatever). When I've had them do this it has only costed about $10.

[ZooRho]

If you can find someone to give the Woodcock-Johnson test it may be better for you

[Crimson Wife]

If you can find someone to give the Woodcock-Johnson test it may be better for you

 

We don't have that kind of budget unfortunately. :( I hear about folks getting the Peabody for $50 but individual achievement testing in my neck of the woods runs $500+.

[Tokyomarie]

I don't remember the SAT 9 being untimed, but I could be wrong. I'm always getting it mixed up with the STAR test. So really, I'm no help! :tongue_smilie:

 

But it is true that you can request untimed tests on either a 504 plan or an IEP.

 

The Stanford is in the 10th edition. This edition is untimed. Students are permitted to keep working as long as the administrator can see that their efforts are productive. This was a big help to my son each time he took it from Gr. 3-5. He used more time than the recommended amount for most sections.

[ZooRho]

I don't remember the SAT 9 being untimed, but I could be wrong. I'm always getting it mixed up with the STAR test. So really, I'm no help! :tongue_smilie:

 

But it is true that you can request untimed tests on either a 504 plan or an IEP.

 

the SAT 10 is untimed.

[ZooRho]

We don't have that kind of budget unfortunately. :( I hear about folks getting the Peabody for $50 but individual achievement testing in my neck of the woods runs $500+.

 

WOW, I'm shocked. CAn you check around. I know 2 people here both about $100.

[catz]

We don't have that kind of budget unfortunately. :( I hear about folks getting the Peabody for $50 but individual achievement testing in my neck of the woods runs $500+.

 

That's too bad! I think we pay about $55 to have the Peabody administered by a trained tester in our home and it fits the bill perfectly for this kind of thing. She'll actually do the WJ for slightly more (she prefers the Peabody for kids that haven't hit the ceiling, but my kid hit the ceiling as a 4th grader, so we're done with that format for him). I've never been able to choke up the money for high end educational consultant type testing either.

 

Do you have any local homeschool boards you could post to see if there are any other options? I only found out about our Peabody tester word of mouth through the homeschool community (she's a homeschooling mom).

[Crimson Wife]

Sadly, the $500 tester *IS* the "cheap" option. One of the drawbacks to living near Silicon Valley.

 

I'm waiting to get confirmation from BJUP that the SAT is untimed and that they can do 2 sets of scores. I think that'll be the best option for us, even though it won't allow for direct comparison with the previous ITBS scores.

[ZooRho]

Sadly, the $500 tester *IS* the "cheap" option. One of the drawbacks to living near Silicon Valley.

 

I'm waiting to get confirmation from BJUP that the SAT is untimed and that they can do 2 sets of scores. I think that'll be the best option for us, even though it won't allow for direct comparison with the previous ITBS scores.

 

OUCH I'm so very sorry.

I can't imagine.

 

We have used the SAT 10 and it is untimed.

 

Personally I hated it for some of the kids who just needed to be told STOP it's done. the 55 min test was about 2 hours.

 

I do know others who liked it and it ws good for their kids.