Copyright 1989, Michigan State Board of Education. The Michigan State Board of Education complies with all Federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and with all requirements and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the policy of the Michigan State Board of Education that no person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, marital status or handicap shall be discriminated against, exclude from participation in, denied the benefits of or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity for which it is responsible or for which it receives financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.

"Pencils down!" . . . This phrase traditionally marks the end of testing for your students. Yet, your testing program doesn't end with those words, it begins there!

Unless a careful plan is developed for using and reporting the results of testing, then the time spent by your students between "You may open your test booklets," and "Pencils down!" may be time lost. Yet, if such a plan exists and is carried out by all involved, then the testing is an integral part of your instructional program.

Planned and active use of test results in an important tool to be used in the instructional process. The material presented in this publication is designed as one way to give direction to effective planning and instruction.

The staff of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) have developed procedures for helping school district and building staff use and report assessment results. Procedures and materials for using and reporting results at the district, school building, classroom and individual student level have been developed. The models presented are applicable to local districts throughout the state that are faced with the challenge of helping students perform better on the MEAP test. These ideas came from observing schools that made planned use of the results, and are based on realistic estimates of resources available locally.

Pencils Down: A Guide for Using and Reporting Test Results is an updated version of six monographs originally produced by the Michigan Department of Education Assessment Program Staff. The material was revised and compiled into one publication by measurement consultants Bernard Gucwa and Marjorie Mastie.

Because it is important for all educators to have a basic understanding of the tests that provide data for instructional use, the following information is provided as a preface to the material in the guide.

There are two major types of achievement tests: norm-referenced (NRT's), and criterion-referenced (CRT's).

A norm-referenced test is a standardized test in which a student's results are compared to scores obtained by a broad sampling of students in the same grade or age group. This type of test is helpful if you want to know how students compare to their peers, often on a nationwide basis.

Criterion-referenced tests are essentially competency tests that measure a student's mastery of specific objectives on an educational program at a predetermined level. No comparisons are made between other students' scores, and the results are primarily used to customize each students' scores and learning program to his or her specific needs.

The Michigan Educational Assessment Program uses a series of criterion-referenced tests to measure how well students have mastered the Michigan Essential Skills in different subject areas.

Please keep in mind that student results from most standardized achievement tests, whether norm- or criterion-referenced, can be used to support the instructional process.

We hope you find the contents of this guide useful in contributing to that purpose.

Section 1: An Overview

Some Assumptions

The use and reporting models discussed in this guide are based on the following assumptions:

• Test results should be used to help students learn.

Educators should use MEAP test results to teach students the important skills they have not already attained.

• The public has a right to know how its schools are doing.

Parents, board members and taxpayers have a right to information about test scores. Testing information should be provided in a way that will help the public understand the meaning of the scores.

• Most educators aren't taught how to use result in improving instruction.

Generally, educators have no formal training in testing. Those who have had courses on testing were taught more about test construction and reading test reports than about how to use the results in instruction.

• Educators training and motivation are essential for planning the best way to use results.

Without training, most educators find it difficult to effectively use test results, and unsuccessful attempts to use results can lead to frustration and discouragement. Therefore, training activities for educators in using test results must be well-planned, interesting and motivating, with a clearly perceived potential for usefulness.

• Most training in using test results can be handled easily.

There are simple and significant ways test results can be used by educators, without much additional training, and without dependence on outside experts.

• Use and reporting of results are interrelated.

It may seem odd to talk about using and reporting test results as interrelated. Yet, it is very difficult to provide a knowledgeable report of test results until some conclusions have been reached about the meaning of the results.

Describing ways previous test results have been used to identify needs for changes in curriculum and instruction provides meaning to test results.

Descriptions of plans for using current test results are an even more important part of a complete reporting process, since current test results cannot be changed. Only by describing plans for using current test results can the report's audience be assured that reasonable attempts are being made to resolve problems.

If the report includes a reasonable plan for addressing problems identified, support can be gained for the district's efforts, even though there may be dissatisfaction with the actual level of test results. However, to maintain such support, substantive efforts to use the test results in identifying areas of possible curriculum or instructional change need to be made.

This guide describes many ideas and procedures for using and reporting results which have proven to be successful in local districts statewide.

These procedures can be used with test results gathered from both teacher-made tests and norm-referenced tests. Teacher-made tests measure the learning that has resulted from daily classroom instruction, while norm-referenced tests may only be used once or twice a year to measure and compare overall student performance.

Both kinds of test information can and should be analyzed for potential instructional changes.

There are two major ways to use MEAP results. The first is using the results to help the students tested.

Each MEAP test covers an important set of skills that are realistic expectations for students. Thus, skills that students do not attain can provide a starting place for planning instruction.

To do this most effectively, it is important to recognize that the instructional needs of students may not always be restricted to the skills that the student misses on the test. These may only be indicators of underlying instructional needs.

Some districts have expanded the identification process by developing materials that include "diagnostic" tests to determine needs.

Instructional suggestions keyed to the different levels on which students may be operating, and supporting instructional materials are often included as well.

Teachers can use the MEAP Classroom Listing and the Individual Student Reports to identify which skills each student, or group of students, needs help with, as well as which students need the most remedial help.

Some schools have counselors or teachers consider what additional classes or instruction some students should have because their performance on MEAP tests showed significant levels of need.

The second way of using test results is for curriculum review and instructional planning at the building level.

Ideally, the elementary building principal and all classroom teachers will participate as a building team. At the secondary level, teachers in subject areas other than mathematics and English need to be involved as well.

A step-by-step process was developed in Michigan to guide school staffs in using test for this purpose.

One step in the process is the determination of which skills tested present the greatest instructional needs.

Another step is the identification of current instruction on these, and other important skills, at each of the previous grade levels. All teachers, if not involved in the first step need to be involved at this step.

Surveys are used in this identification step. Survey responses may take the form of type of instruction for each skill, when during the school year the instruction occurs, what text and other materials are used to teach the skills, and so forth.

Another step is the determination of immediate, as well as longer-term curriculum goals. While the entire staff need not actually make the decision, all staff should be involved in the goal-setting process and in decisions about how to implement the selected goals.

For the final steps, staff will determine what changes in instruction should be made, how and when these changes should be made, and how to determine if the changes were successful.

The major direct benefit of this process is that educational staff will have established plans to use the test results--a short-term plan for the students tested and a longer-term plan to modify curriculum to meet the needs of the students yet to be tested.

Indirect benefits of the process include:

• a coordinated instructional plan across grade levels and subject areas

• a feeling of team participation among teachers

• increased communication among administrators, teachers, parents and students

Before an effective reporting plan can be developed, it is necessary to identify:

• who needs or wants the information you have

• what information should be reported

• why the reporting is being done--the expected outcome of the reporting

• how the information can best be transmitted to reach the intended audience(s). A year-round communication effort is important for schools to develop credibility and public support. If a year-round communication effort is in place, information about test results can easily be passed on to parents and citizens through the media, school publications and meetings. Although a broad communication effort is advisable, this guide will cover only the narrower topic of reporting test results to selected audiences.

When planning a campaign to use and report test results, it may be useful to think in terms of the events which take place before, during and after testing, and how activities associated with using and reporting are connected with each activity. By planning the use and reporting of test scores in advance, schools can more firmly tie use and reporting together.

After determining how results will be used, reporting the results makes more sense. For example:

• Parents of students tested can be told what remedial instruction is planned.

• Parents can be told how the school curriculum will be modified to improve student achievement

• Citizens can be informed about what the school is doing, how it is doing and will be done to improve.

The plan for reporting test results includes three types of reports - background report, report of test results and follow-up report.

The background report provides information about the purpose of the testing program, how results are being used and how the scores fit within the context of other information about the district and school. This type of report works well with audiences such as the school board, parent groups, other lay audiences and the news media.

A background report:

• Prepares the audience to understand test results.

• Contains basic facts about the assessment program and provides sample test items.

• Stresses what has been done and what will be done with the results.

• Supplies information about subsequent reports.

The report of test results should be as simple as possible while addressing the following five key points:

1. How did we do this year?

2. Did achievement improve over last year?

3. If so, why?

4. If not, why not?

5. What will be done to review and use the results?

It is as important to report low results or declining scores as it is to report high or improving scores. Discussing the full set of test results, including strengths and weaknesses, and planned follow-up activities can often help schools avoid the appearance the district is "covering up" or ignoring problems.

The follow-up report outlines action taken or decisions made subsequent to the background and results reports. This report may focus on curricula selected for review, results of this review process, new instructional activities implemented as a result of the review or special activities implemented as a result of testing, such as awards or summer remedial programs.

In Summary . . .

The reporting of assessment scores is dependent on the use of the scores, but each activity reinforces the other.

By determining the meaning of the scores, the resultant insight can form the basis for reporting results to many audiences. By increasing the level of knowledge of various professional and lay groups, support for instructional programs is increased. Thus, testing can serve as a vehicle to both improve student educational opportunities and to communicate what's good about schools, as well as the school's commitment to changing what isn't so good.

The activities for using and reporting test results which are presented in the other sections of this guide have been developed for use by local educators. These activities were developed recognizing the constraints of time, money and lack of training in test usage under which educators typically must operate. Many of the most effective activities were originally developed by local educators and have proved to be successful.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

DATE:

CONTACT:
Public Relations Officer
Mary Green
555-1313

Mathville Schools Cite Late Coverage as Possible Cause for Small Gain in Test Scores

Mathville fourth, seventh, and tenth grade students showed only slight improvement in some areas tested on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test taken in late September.

In a report to the Mathville Board of Education, Superintendent Phred Smart said that "although we are pleased to see some improvement, much work needs to be done especially in the area of math". Although Mathville students tested above the state average in a few areas. Smart said, "we are reviewing our math program in light of the fact that many of the concepts tested are not taught to our students prior to the testing date."

___ percent of the Mathville fourth graders, ___ percent of the seventh graders, and ___ percent of the tenth graders attained 3/4 of the objectives at each level.

Smart indicates that seventh grade math will receive considerable study by a district math study committee. The math study committee is comprised of first through ninth grade teachers, the school district math consultant and the building principal.

___ percent of the fourth grade readers at Mathville accomplished 3/4 of the reading objectives compared with ___ percent of the students on a statewide basis.

Seventh graders scored higher than the state average on ___ out of the 25 reading objectives tested with ___ percent of the students mastering at least 3/4 of the objectives as compared to ___ of the students or a statewide basis. ___ percent of the tenth graders attained 3/4 of the reading objectives compared with ___ percent of the students on a statewide basis.

The MEAP is given to every fourth, seventh, and tenth grader in Michigan's public schools each fall. This testing has been required under Michigan law since 1969. The test is used by teachers to design programs to meet special learning needs of students.

The MEAP helped to determine whether students have learned specific skills in reading and math. Test questions are taken from a pool of questions considered to reflect the basic skills considered critical by Michigan educators.

Copies of the district's assessment results are available to the public at the district administrative offices, 242 13th Street.