Employer-Linked Charter School Initiative

SKILL REMEDIATION THORUGH LONGITUDINAL TESTING
Submitted by: Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School, Providence, RI

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SUMMARY

The Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School uses adaptive longitudinal testing to measure student skill levels in reading, math and writing. Test data is used to monitor student achievement, to make decisions on student promotion and placement, and to schedule skill-based instruction for individual students.

Reasons for Practice

Five years ago a parent on the school's board of directors asked a very important question: "How do I know my daughter is really learning anything?" He loved the school's culture and climate, his daughter was very happy, and she was getting good grades. However, his point was well made. The issuance of grades tells a parent how the student did in a particular class, not how the student's skills have improved. The school's improvement team considered the question and researched assessment instruments that fit the school's needs and budget. Now, when a parent asks this question, they can see the answer.

Time in Effect

The Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School has been testing its students longitudinally in math reasoning, math computation, and reading comprehension since 1999.

FULL DESCRIPTION

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THE TEXTRON/CHAMBER of Commerce Providence Public Charter School (Textron Chamber) uses a longitudinal testing instrument created by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) to measure student achievement. NWEA provides Measures of Progress (MAP), a service that is used by school districts to inform instruction at the classroom level and to determine whether or not students are growing. Students at Textron Chamber take the Internet-enabled battery of tests on computer terminals, and the data is then transfered to NWEA's testing server in Portland, Oregon. The server recognizes each student's username and password. It then recalls the tests previously taken, the scores, and the questions asked. The tests are in the areas of math computation, math reasoning, and reading comprehension. The student's score is instantly computed and given to the student. The guidance counselor later downloads a complete report detailing the performance of each student.

The NWEA system used by Textron Chamber is an externally scored instrument that informs the student and the school of the score immediately following the administration of the test. The data are used by Textron Chamber to make decisions on student promotion and placement. There is no delay. Because the data are given in real time, the information is actually useful to the school. Results can be used to identify skill deficiencies, assign students to relevant classes, and design curricula around individual needs.

In the summer before the start of the ninth-grade year, the first year at Textron Chamber, each student is tested. On the basis of these data, they are then scheduled for their September classes. The students are tested 12 times throughout their four years at the school. Guidance and administration collect 12 data points on each student and thus have ample evidence of student achievement or the lack thereof. The school asks that each student achieve scores of 225 in math and 230 in reading before entering the Upper School. This level ensures a graduate who truly has attained high school level skills. The NWEA tests are quickly and externally scored giving increased applicability and validity.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

Begin to test your students' skills longitudinally only if you have confidence in the effectiveness of your program. There is a possibility that by developing data on each student you will show that your students are not performing over time. On the other hand, the development of student-by-student data can confirm the effectiveness of your program by clearly demonstrating improvement, even though you may not have the majority of your students above the 50th percentile on a national standards scale. Having good data can defuse any criticism of your school in the event that it is compared to other schools using skewed criteria.