Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/94609
A TEST ABOUT TESTING TRUE FALSE 1. The California Standards Tests (CSTs) assess content standards in English, math, science and social studies. They are a component of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test given to all students annually in grades 2-11. 2. All students, including English learners and students in special education programs, must participate in the STAR program, which also includes California Modified Assessment (CMS) and California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) for students with disabilities. 3. To receive a diploma, students must pass the California High School Exit Exam. 4. Students up to grade 6 are only tested in math and language arts; older students take CSTs in additional subjects including science and history/social studies. 5. Performance levels for STAR results including advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic. "Average teachers may get great scores, but good teachers make lifelong learners out of students," says Jeremy Adams. 6. The 2012 STAR test results marked the ninth straight year California students improved their performance on annual statewide mathematics and English-language arts exams. a return on their investment," she adds. "And for us, it's becoming the sole indicator of job performance. In what other profession would someone's job performance be mea- sured by another person's single test score?" Meanwhile 110 miles south, students nod in time with the show they knew how to apply what they have learned to real-life situations." "Parents expect high scores. To them, it's almost like beat as Escondido Elementary Education Association (EEEA) member Jesusa López plays a "let's get ready for the test" rap song for her third-graders. It's September, and preparation for the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exam is under way at Conway Elementary School. López smiles, but she is worried. "I could see my students were learning last year — I provided a well-rounded educa- tion. But they didn't hit the magic number on the one impor- tant test." López suffers many sleepless nights worrying about raising scores of her students who don't test well. Many Escondido educators experience such stress, says EEEA President Romero Maratea. "Using data to inform instruction is good, judge teachers, it results in stress and more test prep." The district, on Program Improvement and facing NCLB sanctions, assesses students' test readiness three times a year, " he says. "But when data is being used to Students in Susan Huls' class have fun learning. but most teachers are preparing students for standardized testing year-round. Rankings of individual Escondido teachers are shared at staff meetings, and teachers feel demoralized if their scores are lower, even slightly, than others teaching the same grade level, says November 2012 www.cta.org 17