Chuck
May 21st, 2005, 11:21 AM
FRANKFORT - Two separate reviews of Kentucky education assessment system
suggest alterations to the current plan, but don't encourage scrapping
it, a legislative panel heard today.
The Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee received
an update from the legislature's Office of Education Accountability,
which performed a study of the CATS testing system over the past year.
In addition, lawmakers heard recommendations from the National Technical
Advisory Panel on Assessment and Accountability.
State education leaders are in the process of devising a testing system
for the next few years. Both reviews were intended to provide guidance.
"I really didn't hear any surprises," said Helen Prather, who chairs the
Kentucky Board of Education's committee on testing issues. Most of the
issues suggested by the reviews are already being discussed by the board
of education, she said.
Both state leaders and professional educators are concerned about the
time spent preparing for tests and concentrating on writing portfolios
rather than integrating them into the normal curriculum, legislators
heard. The major focus of the new testing plan will be aligning
assessment with classroom instruction and state goals. "Format, in our
view, is not the issue," said Dr. Doris Redfield of the Appalachian
Education Laboratory, which conducted a portion of the OEA's review.
"The issue is about alignment and the opportunity to perform."
Researchers disagree on the value of writing portfolios to overall
accountability standards, Redfield said, but most suggestions for a
successful integration are already being met by Kentucky's writing
program.
Responding to past suggestions that CATS be rejected in favor of
nationally normed reference tests like CTBS, Redfield said that NRTs
alone would not be enough, since they aren't designed with Kentucky's
curriculum in mind. Dr. John Poggio of NTAPAA echoed that sentiment.
"You want to customize your assessments," he said. "Stay with your
design, probably enhance it. You're on very solid ground."
Lawmakers also reviewed the results of a survey of teachers, parents,
administrators and students regarding CATS and portfolios. While overall
most of those surveyed saw the state's assessment system in a positive
light, many saw room for improvement or had issues with particular
areas.
"In my 26 years in state government there's never been any testing
system that's had a majority positive response from education
professionals," said Rep. Harry Moberly, R-Richmond. "We've got the
right concept; we just have to tackle the problems."
Moberly also suggested that many areas of concern with the state's
educational testing system are not flaws in the design itself, but with
training teachers how to adjust. "A significant number of our problem
are issues of implementation," he said.
Prather agreed. "Effective professional development is going to be more
important than any changes to the assessment program," she said. As
teachers become familiar with ways to help their students do well on
state tests by helping them understand the core curriculum, she said,
concerns and issues with the system will lessen.
The panel will meet again on June 6 for a further review of the OEA's
study.
suggest alterations to the current plan, but don't encourage scrapping
it, a legislative panel heard today.
The Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee received
an update from the legislature's Office of Education Accountability,
which performed a study of the CATS testing system over the past year.
In addition, lawmakers heard recommendations from the National Technical
Advisory Panel on Assessment and Accountability.
State education leaders are in the process of devising a testing system
for the next few years. Both reviews were intended to provide guidance.
"I really didn't hear any surprises," said Helen Prather, who chairs the
Kentucky Board of Education's committee on testing issues. Most of the
issues suggested by the reviews are already being discussed by the board
of education, she said.
Both state leaders and professional educators are concerned about the
time spent preparing for tests and concentrating on writing portfolios
rather than integrating them into the normal curriculum, legislators
heard. The major focus of the new testing plan will be aligning
assessment with classroom instruction and state goals. "Format, in our
view, is not the issue," said Dr. Doris Redfield of the Appalachian
Education Laboratory, which conducted a portion of the OEA's review.
"The issue is about alignment and the opportunity to perform."
Researchers disagree on the value of writing portfolios to overall
accountability standards, Redfield said, but most suggestions for a
successful integration are already being met by Kentucky's writing
program.
Responding to past suggestions that CATS be rejected in favor of
nationally normed reference tests like CTBS, Redfield said that NRTs
alone would not be enough, since they aren't designed with Kentucky's
curriculum in mind. Dr. John Poggio of NTAPAA echoed that sentiment.
"You want to customize your assessments," he said. "Stay with your
design, probably enhance it. You're on very solid ground."
Lawmakers also reviewed the results of a survey of teachers, parents,
administrators and students regarding CATS and portfolios. While overall
most of those surveyed saw the state's assessment system in a positive
light, many saw room for improvement or had issues with particular
areas.
"In my 26 years in state government there's never been any testing
system that's had a majority positive response from education
professionals," said Rep. Harry Moberly, R-Richmond. "We've got the
right concept; we just have to tackle the problems."
Moberly also suggested that many areas of concern with the state's
educational testing system are not flaws in the design itself, but with
training teachers how to adjust. "A significant number of our problem
are issues of implementation," he said.
Prather agreed. "Effective professional development is going to be more
important than any changes to the assessment program," she said. As
teachers become familiar with ways to help their students do well on
state tests by helping them understand the core curriculum, she said,
concerns and issues with the system will lessen.
The panel will meet again on June 6 for a further review of the OEA's
study.