Standardized Testing, I feel sick to my stomach.

[zarabellesmom]

I live in the state of GA and we have to do standardized testing in 3rd, 6th and 9th grade. This year is a testing year for both my daughters. We've chosen the Standford 10 because I can have it administered locally and it's untimed. I think my oldest will be mostly ok. We definitely are not common core aligned at my house and so I'm a little worried for both of them on that front.  Anyway, I bought the Spectrum test prep book for both grades and I just feel sick. There is soooo much reading. I mean, I knew there was, but... I don't have to submit the test results, just keep them for my records. I'm suffering from serious test anxiety and I'm NOT EVEN THE ONE TAKING THE TEST. Someone, talk me off the cliff here because I'm ready to jump. I can't be the only one in this situation. I don't want my third grader to come home and tell me she's stupid (she most definitely isn't) and I don't want to receive these results and feel like we are doing a bad job when I know know know we aren't. I mean, I just had her evaluated by the psychologist and her vocabulary, math, etc. scores were amazing. That's not a fluke. What do you do? Can I just tuck them away without ever looking at them? (Denial could really work here.)

 

How does everyone else deal with this?

 

Teresa

 

[Heathermomster]

I've read the SAT-10 to two students. There were two portions that I could not read, maybe a math part and reading comp. I read the rest of the test though. Talk to the administrator, be prepared to show the SLD documentation, and request accommodation.

Edited February 28, 2017 by Heathermomster

[PeterPan]

Did your psych report include suggested accommodations? Anything the report says, you can do. My ds has an IEP for state funding purposes, and I can tell you every single little detail is hashed out in the IEP. There are check boxes that say how the testing is handled. 

 

If your state will accept testing that you can administer, I would. Just saying. That way you can slow it down, doing just 1-2 sections a day. Look at your paper trail and use all the accommodations.

 

Btw, if you can get the Woodcock Johnson, it's largely done orally, no ceiling, one hour. Would cost you more, but it's great. And if your psych evals are recent (within the last 6 months), I would submit the achievement testing from those.

 

Yup, you said she was just eval'd. Submit that testing. 

Edited February 28, 2017 by OhElizabeth

[EKS]

When my son was still having trouble with reading and such, I used the PASS test because not only is it untimed and meant to be administered by a parent, you can also give different levels for reading, math, and language.  I recommend that whatever test you decide to use, that if at all possible you give it yourself.  You will get much more information that way--what exactly your children struggled with, what was easy, how much time they had left (if using a timed test), that sort of thing.  You can also break it up more, so there aren't long blocks of testing.  And you can give whatever accommodations you deem appropriate.

[Storygirl]

And you don't have to tell your child the scores. We didn't get our score results for awhile after (forget how long), and my kids had long since moved on to thinking about other things. No one was asking me how they scored on the tests.

 

I didn't tell them. They are enrolled in school now, and I didn't show them the test scores that they did at the school last spring, either. There was no benefit to telling them. They've had some scary low scores, and I don't want them to know.

[zarabellesmom]

Did your psych report include suggested accommodations? Anything the report says, you can do. My ds has an IEP for state funding purposes, and I can tell you every single little detail is hashed out in the IEP. There are check boxes that say how the testing is handled.

 

If your state will accept testing that you can administer, I would. Just saying. That way you can slow it down, doing just 1-2 sections a day. Look at your paper trail and use all the accommodations.

 

Btw, if you can get the Woodcock Johnson, it's largely done orally, no ceiling, one hour. Would cost you more, but it's great. And if your psych evals are recent (within the last 6 months), I would submit the achievement testing from those.

 

Yup, you said she was just eval'd. Submit that testing.

Stupid question, but do you mean the Woodcock Johnson IV? Because that was done at her evaluation and it never occurred to me to use that. The state doesn't specify which test, only that I test. Bang, mission accomplished.

 

Speaking of the Woodcock Johnson IV, what is "Academic Fluency"??? Most of our testing has detailed information, but all I have for this one is a score (and not a great one).

 

I have given the PASS test before(when my oldest was in the third grade) and I didn't love it. I don't recall why now. Maybe I should pull out her results and see if I can remember what bothered me.

 

And as for accommodations, our report recommends time and a half for standardized testing and says nothing about having it read to her. How valuable can a test be when you can't read it for Pete's sake. I mean, I get that the reading portion is testing reading, but if the science portion is ALL reading then it's not testing my child on science, it's just another reading test.

[zarabellesmom]

Ok, I am looking at my oldests PASS results and I remember what bothered me... 😂 She is dysgraphic. Her psych evaluation took place just two days before I administered the PASS and the PASS showed her as overall high performance in Language. Something seems off about that. I think it actually sums up my whole feeling about standardized testing. It seems like an enormous waste of time and money.

[zarabellesmom]

And you don't have to tell your child the scores. We didn't get our score results for awhile after (forget how long), and my kids had long since moved on to thinking about other things. No one was asking me how they scored on the tests.

 

I didn't tell them. They are enrolled in school now, and I didn't show them the test scores that they did at the school last spring, either. There was no benefit to telling them. They've had some scary low scores, and I don't want them to know.

Total agreement.

[EKS]

Stupid question, but do you mean the Woodcock Johnson IV? Because that was done at her evaluation and it never occurred to me to use that. The state doesn't specify which test, only that I test. Bang, mission accomplished.

 

Speaking of the Woodcock Johnson IV, what is "Academic Fluency"??? Most of our testing has detailed information, but all I have for this one is a score (and not a great one).

 

I have given the PASS test before(when my oldest was in the third grade) and I didn't love it. I don't recall why now. Maybe I should pull out her results and see if I can remember what bothered me.

 

And as for accommodations, our report recommends time and a half for standardized testing and says nothing about having it read to her. How valuable can a test be when you can't read it for Pete's sake. I mean, I get that the reading portion is testing reading, but if the science portion is ALL reading then it's not testing my child on science, it's just another reading test.

 

Academic fluency is (I believe) derived from all of the fluency scores--so math fluency, reading fluency, etc.

 

The PASS test is not the best test in the world, but if your state is happy with it, it will get the job done with less stress than the other options.  I would have the goal to be to move over to a more mainstream test within a few years though.

 

The reading level on the non-reading parts of the tests like the ITBS is purposely lowered so that reading it won't get in the way of most test takers.  But you're right, if the reading is a problem, then it is testing reading comprehension and not science or social studies or whatever.

[zarabellesmom]

Academic fluency is (I believe) derived from all of the fluency scores--so math fluency, reading fluency, etc.

 

The PASS test is not the best test in the world, but if your state is happy with it, it will get the job done with less stress than the other options. I would have the goal to be to move over to a more mainstream test within a few years though.

 

The reading level on the non-reading parts of the tests like the ITBS is purposely lowered so that reading it won't get in the way of most test takers. But you're right, if the reading is a problem, then it is testing reading comprehension and not science or social studies or whatever.

That seems like a logical explanation for academic fluency, but it's actually the second lowest score on the report, just under sentence reading. The other fluency scores are quite a bit higher. Some of this stuff is really puzzling.

[zarabellesmom]

Academic fluency is (I believe) derived from all of the fluency scores--so math fluency, reading fluency, etc.

 

The PASS test is not the best test in the world, but if your state is happy with it, it will get the job done with less stress than the other options. I would have the goal to be to move over to a more mainstream test within a few years though.

 

The reading level on the non-reading parts of the tests like the ITBS is purposely lowered so that reading it won't get in the way of most test takers. But you're right, if the reading is a problem, then it is testing reading comprehension and not science or social studies or whatever.

I agree, giving the PASS might be the best idea for youngest this year (unless I can count the WJ IV). I feel pretty good about my oldest taking the Stanford 10. Now that we have a handle on her ADHD, she will probably test just fine.

[EKS]

That seems like a logical explanation for academic fluency, but it's actually the second lowest score on the report, just under sentence reading. The other fluency scores are quite a bit higher. Some of this stuff is really puzzling.

 

Ok, I just pulled my son's report.  This is for the WJ-III, but I assume the WJ-IV is the same.  It says Academic Fluency and gives a score and then under it are Reading Fluency, Writing Fluency, and Math Fluency, each with scores.  

 

I do know that a group of low scores will give an index score that is even lower because it is more rare to have all three scores low than it is to have one or two low (it works the same way with high scores).  Maybe that's what happened?  

[PeterPan]

Yes, the WJ is standardized achievement testing, so it works. Done! :)

[zarabellesmom]

Ok, I just pulled my son's report. This is for the WJ-III, but I assume the WJ-IV is the same. It says Academic Fluency and gives a score and then under it are Reading Fluency, Writing Fluency, and Math Fluency, each with scores.

 

I do know that a group of low scores will give an index score that is even lower because it is more rare to have all three scores low than it is to have one or two low (it works the same way with high scores). Maybe that's what happened?

Interesting. Could be. The fluency scores were her lowest. That's probably related to low processing speed and working memory, no? It kills me because the information is in there, it just takes a little longer for it to work its way out. I'm learning to be patient. I'm not patient by nature. Edited March 3, 2017 by ZaraBellesMom

[zarabellesmom]

Yes, the WJ is standardized achievement testing, so it works. Done! :)

You peeps on the learning challenges board are fantastic. I'm new to this journey and you are so generous with your time answering all my crazy questions. I appreciate all of you.

[EKS]

Interesting. Could be. The fluency scores were her lowest. That's probably related to low processing speed and working memory, no? It kills me because the information is in there, it just takes a little longer for it to work it's way out. I'm learning to be patient. I'm not patient by nature.

 

It can also be related to fine motor skills, at least the math and writing can.  And also motivation to work quickly.