ISSUE: The ultimate success of the school improvement process is measured by advances in student knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes. Progress in these areas often is gauged by student assessment programs managed by state agencies or school districts. After the
ISSUE: The ultimate success of the school improvement process is measured by advances in student knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes. Progress in these areas often is gauged by student assessment programs managed by state agencies or school districts. After the schools receive the assessment results, educators need to carry out specific activities in order to use the information effectively. (See the critical issue "Using Assessment in School Improvement Planning.") One important task is reporting the assessment results to interested individuals and groups so that their needs for information are met and they have a clear understanding of the assessment. When properly presented, assessment reports can help build support for schools and for initiatives that educators wish to carry out. But if assessment results are poorly reported, they can be disregarded or interpreted incorrectly, adversely affecting students, educators, and others in the school community.
OVERVIEW: Students, parents, and community members often misinterpret assessment data because they do not view the information in the proper context. They may fail to consider the many variables involved in the education process, such as students' diverse backgrounds and motivation levels. All children do not come to school equally prepared to learn. In addition, low-performing children are more likely to move frequently, so schools may have little opportunity to intervene with these students before assessment takes place.
Too often, assessment contributes to a competitive atmosphere among schools, districts, and states. When assessment data for a school shows a low rating, the public has a tendency to blame the school environment.
Ed Roeber, Director of Assessment for the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, DC, discusses how erroneous conclusions often are drawn when the results of assessment tests are misinterpreted. [Audio file, 180k] Excerpted from the audiotape Policy Talks, audiotape #2, Reaching for New Goals and