Standardized Testing and It’s Affects on Classroom Teaching

1. Standardized Testing and It’s Affects on Classroom Teaching By: Kristin Zaccari

2. Introduction • Objective: Find out teacher’s views of how standardized testing has affected their classroom teaching • My Hypothesis: I believe most teachers alter the way they teach, so that their students do better on the tests

3. What is included • Research from different sources • Interview • Analyzed results from the interview • What could be improved? • What comes next? • Why does this topic matter?

4. How has classroom teaching been affected by standardized testing?

5. Background Research • What is standardized testing? • No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) • Class time should not be taken away for test preparation (Violante, 2006) • Teachers are being judged by the test scores that are affected by factors that are beyond their control • Testing can also push students to learn faster then what they are developmentally ready for

6. Background Research • Teachers are concerned that low test performance due to cultural differences may reflect negatively upon their perceived job performance. (Donegan and Trepanier-Street, 1998) • Amount of support and resources

7. Background Research: How Standardized Tests are Beneficial: • Standardized Test Scores can be used to: • Evaluate how well a program is meeting its overall goal (Donegan and Trepanier-Street, 1998) • Improve the way teachers teach their students • Show educators which students need guidance (Suhor, 1985)

8. Background Information: Negative Effects of Standardized Testing • Standardized testing impacts everyone • Heavily weighed • Anxiety and stress levels rise • Students are put in classes based on test results • Narrows curriculum • Stops children from reaching their fullest potential (Vogler, 2002)

9. Background Information: Negative Effects of Standardized Testing • “Cookie Cutter Student” (Scot, Callahan and Urquhart, 2009, 40) • Takes away from gifted and talented students • Pressure on schools and classroom teachers • Improve test scores (Donegan and Terpanier-Street, 1998) • Rise in competition • Encouraging comparison between races, districts, and states

10. Background Information: Consequences of Low Test Scores • Public reporting of test results • Prevention of grade to grade promotion • High school graduation prevention • Possible school take over (Vogler, 2002)

11. Background Information: Risks of Standardized Testing • Teachers are being threatened with their pay (Hollingworth, 2007) • Motivation: Cash rewards for teachers or schools • Chain of Problems: • Teaching to the test • Less teamwork

12. Background Information: Change in Curriculum • Curriculum has been shaped by the test results (Green and Eicher, 2001) • Timeline has been designed • Teachers have departed from what they know about effective teaching and learning because the effects of low test results have strong repercussions (Miller and Higgins, 2008)

13. Background Information: Change in Curriculum • High stakes testing has created a barrier for practices and development of the best practice teaching and learning • Teachers are teaching • In ways that are at odds with current best practices • Ignoring what is known about cognitive learning theory • Disregarding the calls for teaching of twenty first century skills and higher order thinking abilities (Scot, Callahan and Urquhart, 2009)

14. Background Information: Change in Curriculum • Make time for test preparation • Review of previous grade level content • Use of test review booklets are the methods of test preparation (Capp, 2009) • “Fun days” and other ways of learning, for example, plays and movies have been dropped

15. Background Information: Change in Curriculum (Vogler, 2002)

16. Background Information: Item Teaching • “A teacher narrowly focus their instruction either around the actual items known to be found on the test or a set of look-alike items. It provides little opportunity for authentic forms of learning. Higher test scores do not necessarily translate into corresponding levels of student knowledge,” (Violante, 2006, 132-133)

17. Background Information: Curriculum Teaching • “Requires teachers to direct their instruction toward a specific body of content knowledge or a specific set of cognitive skills represented by the test,” (Violante, 2006, 133) • Better way of teaching

18. Methodology • Three upper elementary school (grades 3,4,5) teachers were interviewed • English Language Arts Test and NYS Mathematics • Interviews took about twenty to thirty minutes

19. Methodology: Interview Questions • How long have you been teaching? • In your opinion does standardized testing help or hurt students? Why do you think this? • How has the way you teach changed since standardized testing became more important?

20. Methodology: Interview Questions • Do you still have time for as many enrichment activities as you once may have had? • Do you narrow or expand what you teach in some units so that the students will be ready for the standardized test? Please give an example. • Do you ever feel yourself teaching to the test?

21. Methodology: Interview Questions • How has the atmosphere of the classroom changed since standardized testing has become more significant?

22. Results • Is standardized testing beneficial to students? • “Ten years ago I would have said that standardized testing helped. Today it does more harm than good,” says one of the teachers. “Testing has lost its purpose. Tests today do not directly asses standards or knowledge students need to have.” • “Kids need to be measured on a standard objective.” Neither one of these two teachers were opposed to tests that show progress.

23. Results • ELA= More harm then good • “The ELA test is not an accurate way to measure students’ progress.” • Multiple choice part of the ELA is the worst • The wording is tricky • “I struggle as an educator. Why does the state do this? Why are they trying to trick students? What are these tests really assessing?”

24. Results • Teaching has been affected • Study the test and use it as a guide • Some units get taken out or are not stressed as much • “I’m angry because there are things I want to teach in authentic ways but I can’t because there is no time due to test preparation.”

25. Results • There are two things that get taught to the test • Essay Writing and Listening Comprehension • “The way the state wants an essay written is a lot poorer quality then what we as teachers are looking for.” • New York State Writing: Right to the point and lots of detail • Local Writing: Drafting, editing, and rewriting,

26. Results: Atmosphere Change • Most of the time that was once set aside for enrichment activities is now spent doing test preparation • Atmosphere of the classroom changed • Anxiety for not only the test itself but for the grading

27. Results: Atmosphere Change • Teachers being evaluated based on standardized test scores • “I have been a teacher for nineteen years. Within in my past and I’m sure future classes, I’m going to have students who’s first language is other than English and other students with learning disabilities. These students may not do as well on a test as students in a class with all English speaking students with no disabilities. I’m going to try my hardest to get these children good tests scores, but they still are at a disadvantage. Now it’s going to be a bad reflection on me. How is this fair?”

28. Results: Atmosphere Change • Teachers do the best they can to minimize stress • Notes to parents • Have after school gathering • “Standardized testing is not a fun time for anyone, but it’s something we have to do.” says one teacher. “We are going to help the students get through it the best we can.”

30. Discussion: • Overall conclusion: most teachers do not like taking the time out of class for standardized testing preparation or for the test itself • Majority of the teachers are scared for their careers • Hypothesis was neither correct nor wrong

31. Discussion: What Can This Information be Used For? • This information could be used to help teachers adapt test taking strategies into their curriculum without completely letting standardized test control the way they teach

32. Discussion: What Could be Improved? • Interview more teachers • Interview teachers from other districts • Interview different grade levels

33. What’s the Next Step? • Pick up on this study after all the new laws have been passed and go back to original teachers and ask their opinion • Ask more teachers their opinions • Ask new and older teachers

34. References: • Capp, R. (2009) Process skills practice and standardized tests. 28-30. • Donegan, M. M., & Trepanier-Street, M. (1998). Teacher and parent views on standardized testing: A cross-cultural comparison of the uses and influencing factors. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 13(1), 85-93. • Green, K. E., & Eicher, R. (2001). The effect of introductory tests and measurement on attitudes toward testing. Education,108(2), 212-216. • Hollingworth, L. (2007). Five ways to prepare for standardized tests without sacrificing best practice. The Reading Teacher, 61(4), 339-342. • Miller, M. & Higgins, B., (2008) Beyond test preparation: Nurturing successful learners through reading and writing workshops. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 44(3), 124-127. • Scott, T., Callahan, C.& Urquhart, J.(2009). Paint-by-numbers teachers and cookie cutter students: The unintended effects of high-stakes testing on the education of gifted students. Roeper Review, (31), 40-52. • Suhor, C. (1985). Objective tests and writing samples: How do they affect instruction in composition?. The Phi Delta Kappan, 66(9), 635-639. • Violante, L. (2006). Toward appropriate preparation for standardized achievement testing. Journal of Educational Thought, 40(2), 129-144. • Vogler, K. E., (2002). The impact of high-stakes, state-mandated student performance assessment on teachers’ instructional practices. Education, 123(1), 39-55.

35. References: • Scott, T., Callahan, C.& Urquhart, J.(2009). Paint-by-numbers teachers and cookie cutter students: The unintended effects of high-stakes testing on the education of gifted students. Roeper Review, (31), 40-52. • Suhor, C. (1985). Objective tests and writing samples: How do they affect instruction in composition?. The Phi Delta Kappan, 66(9), 635-639. • Violante, L. (2006). Toward appropriate preparation for standardized achievement testing. Journal of Educational Thought, 40(2), 129-144. • Vogler, K. E., (2002). The impact of high-stakes, state-mandated student performance assessment on teachers’ instructional practices. Education, 123(1), 39-55.