Terra Nova testing results...some questions.

[LisaKinVA]

So, I had my kids take the Terra Nova test for the first time this year (dd has done ITBS, SOLs, and CAT, plus ACT before; ds has done ITBS and CAT; younger dd has done ITBS and CAT, but not in couple of years).  We didn't do any preparation prior to the test.

 

All three kids normally score in the top stanine of the ITBS or CAT, mostly across the board.  

 

Oldest dd typically scores off the charts in math, wound up in the 95th percentile (99th overall), with a low score in measurement. (??)  I asked her a lot of questions trying to figure out what types of measurement questions she might have missed, she's even shocked and confused.  All we can figure is that she either didn't mark questions completely/dark enough or maybe got off on her bubbling some how?  I kind of wish I could see a copy of her answers or request a hand-grading -- but they'd most likely look at me as if I'd grown a 3rd eye.  Conversely, her reading and LA scores went way up (and they are usually her "low" scores -- not that anyone in their right mind would call them low -- just low compared to her math scores).

 

My younger two were mostly in the "above average" range, except for one score each, which was 63% for one and 74% for the other. I kind of get why their scores may have gone down (completely different test format, no prep, lots of write your answers/CC aligned, dd hasn't done the types of questions they expect from 4th graders in reading at this point (she's in 3rd at home, but the school had to accelerate her one year when we first moved and we put her in the school during our transition -- so according to the school she's a 4th grader -- she was at the top of her class there in their 2nd grade).  

 

I shouldn't care.  But, I can't help but wonder if something is off -- or if most of the difference can be attributed to (a) not following CC for math/reading/writing expectations and (b) no test prep?

 

I may do an ITBS in the fall just to compare apples-to-apples -- but thought I'd ask here for anyone who had experience with Terra Nova (3) for their input.

 

Thank you.

[SKL]

I don't know much, but my daughter went from being in 99th %ile for Reading, Math and Language (ITBS) to around 90%ile IIRC the next year (Terra Nova).  I thought it might be a fluke because she was sick that year, but the following years her results stayed below 95th %ile, which I don't think is accurate.  When I ask her about it, she says the test is boring.  Not much I can do about it.

 

I do know my kid is not big on writing output - she just hates showing her work in math, writing out her thoughts etc.  So I would assume she would do better with all bubbles vs. writing.

 

(ETA this child did not "prepare" for either test, except one year, she did part of a generic test prep booklet.  I wonder what % of kids do prepare for these tests and whether this skews the results.  My kid hates test prep and I don't value the test scores enough to insist on it for her.)

Edited June 2, 2016 by SKL

[LisaKinVA]

I don't know much, but my daughter went from being in 99th %ile for Reading, Math and Language (ITBS) to around 90%ile IIRC the next year (Terra Nova).  I thought it might be a fluke because she was sick that year, but the following years her results stayed below 95th %ile, which I don't think is accurate.  When I ask her about it, she says the test is boring.  Not much I can do about it.

 

I do know my kid is not big on writing output - she just hates showing her work in math, writing out her thoughts etc.  So I would assume she would do better with all bubbles vs. writing.

 

The writing things out may have hurt her, only because she says she was rushing, so it might not have been legible (however, her rushed writing is still more legible than Pokeman's non-rushed writing on a good day).  She got 99th in reading and 98th in Language Arts which surprised her.  It's good to know that my kids aren't the only ones who may have taken a hit.  It's also possible she used incorrect (for the test, anyhow) terminology.  But to have the score be low in measurement is just mind-boggling.  She was like, "the ruler only had centimeters, and the questions were like, measure the alligator and this is 30 ml and you add 70 ml, how much is now in the beaker?"  She did say that it's possible that she missed qualifiers like "not" (like how much of the area is NOT shaded), and given the wrong answer.  

 

She tests much higher on the ACT/SAT, so I guess that is what is going to matter in the long run.

 

I've just wondered how it compares to the ITBS and CAT results-wise.  I am glad to not be alone!

[luuknam]

I don't remember there being any issues on the actual test, but in the test prep book for 3rd grade TerraNova/CAT, for one of the measuring questions the answer (to the best of *my* measuring ability) was something like 3.5 inches, and you needed to bubble in 2, 3, 4, or 5 inches. That one annoyed me.

 

I probably would ignore it for now and just make sure to read over her work before sending it in next year. Or ask them to hand grade the math section - so what if they grow a 3rd eye? Also look at the raw score results - how many measurement questions did she get wrong out of the total number of measurement questions? Maybe everybody is great at measuring and missing just a couple drops you way down.

[Ausmumof3]

I guess being a percentile based thing it could just mean that others were perfect on measuring and she missed one.

[...................]

We use Terra Novas and both my kids went up in math, an area that we had greatly focused on this year.  My 8th grade son is now in the 99% and my dd in the 95%....they both scored lower on social studies  (too many environmental and graphs) and also lower on spelling.

 

The Terra Novas are administered mostly to private schools.  That could be one reason your percentiles are lower.

 

I also proctored Terra Novas and FYI there are 3 test levels each grade could choose.  Our private school satellite chooses the highest level for each grade, meaning they are choosing the more challenging levels of the test, because for whatever reason that gives them the info they/we need. 

 

also FYI the tests do get pretty long righr around 6th grade with the Terra Nova.  They cover a lot, and usually whatever my dd takes last she practically bombs.  She is just sick of testing by that point.  This year the last test was Mathematics Computation.  So, you may want to take note of which sections they do last since that'll help you clue into whether the scores had to do with just being tired and pooped.

 

 

[...................]

I don't know about ITBS but so far the Terra Novas matched almost exactly what my dc really did and showed through teh year.  My son focused INTENSELY on math this year and scored 99%.  He used a lame dumb Science program and Science dropped to 89%....

 

my dd continued with Apples and Pears and her spelling jumped from 51% to 68%....she worked at Match Club, Zacarros Math and two math programs and her math overall went from 89% to 96%....

 

So those are just examples of how the Terra Nova to me has been pretty accurate, but I think if you use it next year again that would give you the most accuracy.  I found out for example that two years in a row my dd scored rather low in Geography 80%....(a subject which we truly haven't done much of anything formal with) so we spent more time on maps, mapping and Seterra.net this yera.  Next year I'll be curious to see if her scores improve a bit.