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Getting Ready F or T he ITBS: A Parent’s Guide To Testing. October 16, 2013 8:30 a.m. Bethune Cafeteria Tenika Booth Parent Liaison Sponsored by Title I. Test Taking. Types of Test How Are Test Scored? What Test DON’T Measure Ask Your Child’s Teacher……. How You Can Help at Home….
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Getting Ready For The ITBS: A Parent’s Guide To Testing October 16, 2013 8:30 a.m. Bethune Cafeteria Tenika Booth Parent Liaison Sponsored by Title I
Test Taking • Types of Test • How Are Test Scored? • What Test DON’T Measure • Ask Your Child’s Teacher……. • How You Can Help at Home…..
Types of Test • Aptitude Test • Measure general knowledge rather than knowledge in a specific subject • SAT and ACT • Achievement Test • Measure specific knowledge and skills in a particular content area such as science, math, English, and social studies. • Iowa Test of Basic Skills
How Test Are Scored All tests are scored in two ways: • Norm-referencing • The technique shows a students results to a “norm” group of students at the same grade level. • Example: if your child scored in the 38th percentile on her reading test, she would be ranked 38th out of a national norm of 100 students. • The ITBS is a norm referencing test • Criterion-Referencing • This technique shows a students results in comparison to a benchmark or set standard of acceptable performance.
What Standardized Test DON’T Measure • It is important to remember that there are other indicators of a child’s knowledge and skill level. • Tests do not measure school quality, these test are successful at differentiation—giving parents accurate information about how their child is performing in comparison to his or her peers. • Overall Student Performance • Standardized test are NOT designed to be the single determinant of a student’s achievement and knowledge.
Ask Your Child’s Teacher…. • How does the school use the data from the test? • What other forms of assessment are used in the classroom? • How does the test content relate to the curriculum being taught? • What do you do to prepare children for the test? • How much time is given to topics not on standardized tests? • What can I do at home to help my child prepare? • Ask if the test is short-answer, multiple choice, essay or a combination of the three. • Will the student be penalized for incorrect answers or should they guess randomly when a question is challenging? • If my child performs poorly, can he take the test again?
How You Can Help at Home….. • Teachers tell us that successful test takers are students with good attendance, completed homework, and study habits. • Your daily assistance with homework and attitude toward school have the biggest impact on your child’s performance. • Teachers tell us that students who struggle the most on testing days are the ones who didn’t have enough sleep or a good breakfast the day of the test. • Student mentally and physically unprepared often encounter problems.
How You Can Help at Home…. • Set a study schedule • Designate a study space • Ask your child what she thinks is on the test? • Remember test taking basics • Read the question all the way through • Answer the questions she knows well, then return to the questions she’s unsure of later.
Let’s Review….. • Types of Test • How tests are scored • What Standardized Tests DON’T Measure • Ask Your Child’s Teacher…… • How You Can Help at Home….