Children at the Center: A Workshop Approach to Standardized Test Preparation, K-8
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Do tests really matter? Whether they accurately reflect how much children have learned is a question many teachers would answer with an emphatic "No!" But as the movement for standardized testing sweeps the nation, it is clear that tests do matter: When children don't do well on them, they suffer. Children at the Center provides solutions for resolving the ethical and practical dilemmas posed by this trend. It was written by teachers who have seen otherwise well-respected schools damaged by poor test scores . . . who have personally struggled with assessment that doesn't align well with curriculums . . . who have discovered that most teachers are ill-equipped to confidently interpret norm-referenced test scores, and therefore be effective advocates for students. Mostly, it is written from a pragmatic perspective geared toward the needs of children. To that end, readers will find: an innovative, ethical, inquiry-, and workshop-based approach to test preparation practical, teacher-ready workshops and student materials that have been field tested in several states; and refined based on classroom teacher feedback models of responses to real-life questions parents typically ask about testing a teacher-friendly review of norm-referenced test construction and interpretation. As standardized tests continue to shape curriculums, and teachers are held more and more accountable for student performance, Children at the Center will prove essential in helping us pass the real test: preparing children for the future.
AcknowledgmentsIntroductionPt. 1Building the Bridge Between Assessment and InstructionCh. 1Co-opting Standardized Tests in the Service of Learning3Ch. 2Who's "Norm" and What's He Doing in My Class? A Primer on Norm-Referenced Tests13Ch. 3When Parents Meet "Norm": Helping Parents Understand Test Scores35Pt. 2Making Tests Work for ChildrenCh. 4Creating Test-Friendly Environments51Ch. 5Workshop One: Assessing Students' Expectations and Attitudes61Ch. 6Workshop Two: Exploring Students' Reactions to Tests and Current Strategies64Ch. 7Workshop Three: Thinking Allowed; Thinking Aloud70Ch. 8Workshop Four: Figuring Out What Works and Why74Ch. 9Workshop Five: Thinking Inside and Outside the Box77Ch. 10Workshop Six: Solving the Mystery of Multiple-Choice Tests82Ch. 11Workshop Seven: Thinking Like a Detective89Ch. 12Workshop Eight: Assessing Students' Experiences and Reactions94Ch. 13Stories from the Front: The Ethics and Practice of Test Preparation95Preassessment of Children's Attitudes and Experiences: What Do You Think About Tests?113Practice Test 1115Overheads (4)118Practice Test 2122Answers to Practice Test Questions125Postassessment of Children's Attitudes and Experiences: So, What Did You Think?126Bibliography129
