Reporting District-Level NAEP Data Summary of a Workshop (2000) / Chapter Skim
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5 Factors That Influence Interest in District-Level NAEP
5 Factors That Influence Interest in District-Level NAEP
Pages 24-37
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From page 24... ...
President Clinton's call for the voluntary national tests in reading and mathematics is one example; the tests' design would strive to create individual measures linked to NAEP to the maximum extent possible, thereby enabling comparisons of individual performance with national benchmarks. Other examples of the desire for comparable test scores are recent congressional requests for studies on the feasibility of developing equivalency scales in order to "link" scores from commercially available standardized tests and state assessments to each other and to NAEP (National Research Council, 1 999c)
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From page 25... ...
They follow a cycle of teaching, testing, modifying instructional practices, developing/purchasing appropriate materials, and then repeat the cycle teach, test, modify, etc.hoping to see results." Several speakers questioned whether NAEP results would fit with these purposes, commenting that decisions based on assessment data are made at the individual, classroom, or school level, not at the district level. Speakers further noted that, in their localities, tests are typically used for accountability purposes and are often associated with high stakes.
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From page 26... ...
Motivation can result in improved teaching practices that lead to actual improvements in skill levels, or motivation can prompt the use of unacceptable test preparation methods that serve to increase test scores without commensurate improvements in the tested knowledge and skills. A clear message from the participants was that their interest in districtlevel results would rely on details about the program.
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From page 27... ...
This amount of testing is not unique to Clark County. Students in Chicago take: the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (optional in grades 1 and 2 but required in grades 3 though 81; the Iowa Test of Basic Skills achievement tests in grades 9 and 10; performance assessments in K-2, currently optional at the school level, but close to being required in some areas; the Test of Achievement and Proficiency in high school; the PLAN published by ACT, Inc.; semester exams in grade 11 in English, mathematics, science, and social studies; the Illinois state assessments in reading, mathematics, and writing in third, fifth, and eighth grades, and in science and social studies for grades 4 and 7; and the Prairie State Achievement Test in grade 11.
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From page 28... ...
Yet the integrity of NAEP results depends on sufficient and accurate participation at the school level. Providing feedback to school districts may increase interest and raise participation rates in the state and national programs.
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From page 29... ...
Harry Selig, a research manager with the Houston Independent School District, observed that making NAEP assessments available has the potential for allowing districts to "refrain from conducting current norm-referenced testing." Selig added that using NAEP assessments could reduce their testing costs and lessen the fatigue effects on students due to extensive testing. Speakers noted that the subject areas tested by state NAEP (e.g., reading, writing, mathematics, and science)
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From page 30... ...
WEIO WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE' Proposed Sampling Design for Districts In preparation for the workshop, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and Westat provided two documents as background material on sampling issues that outlined the proposed sampling plans for district-level reporting (Rust, 1999; National Center for Education Statis
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From page 31... ...
According to the information provided, a district that wishes to report subgroup mean proficiencies for a large number of subgroups such as race, ethnicity, type of courses taken, home-related variables, instructional variables, and teacher variables would need sample sizes approximately one-half of its corresponding state sample size, approximately 1,500 students from a minimum of 50 schools. For reporting, the "rule of 62" would apply, meaning that disaggregated results would be reported only for cell sizes with at least 62 students (National Assessment Governing Board, 1995b: Guideline 31.
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From page 32... ...
Wayne Martin, director of the State Education Assessment Center of the Council of Chief State School Officers, provided a by-grade estimate for fourth grade. According to Martin's estimate, approximately 300 school districts would have sufficient numbers of students in the fourth grade to meet the criteria.
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From page 33... ...
Watson noted that an assessment program in Colorado, designed to employ sampling, was within weeks of being implemented when the state withdrew support. The then-current design of the Colorado State Assessment Program called for assigning schools to one of three content areas being assessed (reading, writing, and geography)
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From page 34... ...
They commented that in order to obtain funding, they would need to convince legislators and policy makers of the potential benefits. Panelists recommended that NAG B and NCES examine the various components of the costs, identify the features associated with higher costs, and consider modifying procedures in order to reduce costs.
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From page 35... ...
She described procedures used to generate the likely ability distributions for individuals, based on their background characteristics and responses to cognitive items (the conditioning procedures) , and to randomly draw five ability estimates (plausible values)
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From page 36... ...
NAG B members were concerned that the districts were not told when they agreed to participate in 1998 NAEP that scores for their districts might be produced. Because of this ambiguity about decisionmaking procedures, NAGB passed the following resolution (National Assessment Governing Board, 19991: Since the policy on release of district-level results did not envision a disagreement between state and district officials, the Governing Board hereby suspends implementation of this policy, pending legislation which would provide that the release of district-level NAEP results must be approved by both the district and state involved.
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From page 37... ...
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE INTERESTIN DISTRICT-LEVEL NAEP 37 In general, district representatives believed that the participating entity should make participation decisions, while state representatives believed that the decision should lie with the state. Some added that the entity that paid for participation should have the ultimate decision-making authority.
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