Standardized Testing Law and its Components by Evan M. Williams https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85 Evan M. Williams en-us 2019-09-30 19:55:22 UTC 2026-01-09 16:53:35 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.pics/1/image.webp?t=g_auto&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpadlet.net%2Ficons%2Fpng%2F1f4d6.png Professional Perspective ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/391571417 My professional perspective comes from a classroom teacher in a graduate program for school counselors. My focus is the secondary education setting as I will be seeking to move into a school counselor role on the secondary level. Many conversations have centered around the role high stakes testing has played in rating school proficiency, and their affect on students' ability to obtain their high school diplomas. The padlet is a resource guide for school counselors to inform them of the current status of the laws, and the general pulse of education regarding the laws. 


]]> 2019-09-30 20:06:46 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/391571417 Campaign Against Testing ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/391893208 The National Education association published an article concerning a vote to publicly campaign against standardized testing. The association decided to serve as an oversight committee to the U.S. Department of Education since the passing of No Child Left Behind. The organization states the law has created a toxic learning environment where schools are graded on test scores, and teachers are punished if students do not perform on the assessments. The legislation greatly impacts schools in lower socio-economic situations and does nothing to close the Achievement Gap. 

The article supports the growing opinion that mandated state testing should not be the only measure of student learning. The article opens the discussion to finding and adopting new, 21st century methods to assess if students have mastered the required skills to obtain a high school diploma.

Long, C.; & Robertson, S. NEA launches campaign to end 'Toxic Testing'. National Education Association. Retrieved from nea.org/home/59747.html]]> 2019-10-01 14:11:19 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/391893208 Alternative to standardized test ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/392383427 The article discusses a pilot program which complies with the Every Student Succeeds Act as an alternative the standardized testing. The program entitled The Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority would allow states to create their own performance based assessments aligned to the state standards. 

  • Assessments must produce a summative score or proficiency level
  • Pilot program was open to up to 7 states, but only 4 participated
  • Analysts stated a lack of federal funds and technological supports as a cause in low participation
The Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority attempted to create a uniform version of assessing students' proficiency across the states that would comply with ESSA requirements. Experts believe the original No Child Left Behind created an educational environment with large amount of testing, and the The Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority is attempting to correct this scenario with alternative assessment methods.

Jacobson, L. (2019, July 18). Georgia, North Carolina join ESSA assessment pilot.  Education Dive. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/georgia-north-carolina-join-essa-assessment-pilot/558980/

]]> 2019-10-02 12:32:15 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/392383427 Protests to standardized testing and legislation to change ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/392567224
  • The article discusses the wide spread dislike of state testing, and the measures taken to change the procedure. 
  • No Child Left Behind (2001) created an environment of high stakes testing and the punishments for schools that do no reach adequate progress
  • Every Student Succeeds Act (2016) overhauls No Child Left Behind to allow flexibility for schools in assessing student proficiency
  • Massachusetts passes Protect Out School Act of 2017 ensuring the measures placed in ESSA are carried out on the state level
    • The article focused on educators' distrust of the current assessment system, and highlighted the changes to the law. This should prove beneficial for school counselors in providing alternatives to the high stakes testing for graduation purposes. One such alternative is the IGC process for students who have struggled with  the STAAR test and qualify for an assignment reviewed by the committee.

    Walker, T. (2018). Educators strike big blow to overuse of standardized testing in 2017. NEAToday. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2018/01/04/educators-strike-big-blow-to-the-overuse-of-standardized-testing/


    ]]>     2019-10-02 16:32:07 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/392567224     Discriminatory Testing Practice ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/392592821
  • protects against discriminating on the basis of race, creed, or national origin. 

    • the burden of proof would come from the nature of the test. 

    • Courts will side with the test makers due to the inherent trust in the test makers to make tests that will not hinder the progress of a student based upon those factors. 

    ]]>     2019-10-02 17:08:07 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/392592821     Outlines assessment requirements for the states ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/393670272
  • Every Student Succeeds Act outlines the states requirement to administer an assessment 
  • To measure the average years progress in Reading, Math, and Science. 
  • The bill allows for the states to administer a single test, or multiple tests to meet this requirement. 
  • states may administer a nationally recognized assessment if certain requirements are not met by state testing.

    • ]]>     2019-10-04 16:40:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/393670272     Talk about Standardized Testing ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394099228 Mrs. Neal's role in the school is the oversight of academics on campus. Mrs. Neal described how standardized testing affects the placement of students. The campus uses the RTI model to assist students for remediation purposes and helps the school administration place teachers. STAAR test results impact graduation results, so Mrs. Neal stays up to date with the latest policy on testing with personal research and through updates provided by the district.

    Best Practices:
    Mrs. Neal provided the following best practices concerning state testing policy:
    1) Schools must be in compliance when administering tests to special populations as it pertains to providing 504 and Special Education accommodations.

    2) Schools must be diligent in obtaining records for testing from outside school districts because items that the state would consider testing irregularities come from late records.

    3) Administrators should constantly review the TEA website for testing procedures and policy to promote compliance to the state standards.

    Emerging issues
    Mrs. Neal spoke briefly about working through Title 1 issues even though the school is not identified as a Title 1 school. The demographics of the student population are changing, and the school has to begin managing issues revolving around federal requirements. Students classified as having English as a Second Language are enrolling at higher rates. This enrollment impacts the state rating system as schools are graded on their ability to show these students are making adequate growth as measured by state testing.

    (N.Neal, personal communication, October 4, 2019)

    ]]>     2019-10-06 12:58:47 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394099228     Fourteenth Amendment Violation ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394108049
  • The Fifth Circuit court ruled students could not be held from graduation based on the results of  a standardized test. 
  • Black students were failing state testing at higher rates in 1978, and failure of the test was preventing them from graduating. 
  • The students argued they were being denied their right to due process since they were not notified of the requirement of the condition. 
  • The court ruled the state testing requirement lifted until 1983 so the students could matriculate in an integrated school and receive proper notification of the state testing requirement. 
    • ]]>     2019-10-06 14:04:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394108049     Assessment Requirements for Graduation ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394118506
  • Students may obtain a high school diploma if they have  have failed no more than two end-of-course assessments by meeting satisfactory requirements of an individual graduation committee. 
  • If the student has not at least attempted the end-of-course assessments, the student may not receive their high school diploma by satisfying the individual graduation committee requirement.
  • The exception to this law is for the English 1 end-of-course assessment. English language learners can receive an exception to the English 1 test if they meet requirements outlined in  § 101.1007 of the title. 
    • ]]>     2019-10-06 15:09:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394118506     Standardized Testing in Burleson ISD ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394124238 This section in the Burleson ISD Student handbook outlines the district policy regarding end-of-course assessments and their role in graduation requirements.
    This section of the handbook explains the required tests for graduation, and it outlines the substitutes for the end-of-course tests. The SAT, ACT, TSI can replace the STAAR assessments under the specific circumstances (Burleson Student Handbook, 2019).
    Satisfactory performance also grants special note on transcripts and can provide automatic admission to Texas public colleges and universities.

    Burleson ISD. (2019). Standardized Testing. Retrieved from https://www.burlesonisd.net/Page/1518


    ]]>     2019-10-06 15:42:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394124238     At-Risk Students: Code item A.4 ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394128436 The principle states school counselors "identify gaps in college and career access and the implications of such data for addressing the intentional and unintentional biases related to college and career counseling (ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors, 2016).

    This principle connects to standardized testing because school counselors must make students aware of all the options available to them regarding graduation and possibly attending college. Students must be made aware of all the tests and testing alternatives so students can make the best decisions regarding their education. Some students may not be made aware of all the alternatives because of incorrectly perceiving a student's ability to perform satisfactorily on the assessment.

    American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf]]>     2019-10-06 16:06:16 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394128436     Recommendations ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394130469
  • Students must be allowed accommodations as outlined by their Special Education and 504 documentation
  • Students must be made aware of the possible substitutions for state testing, such as SAT, ACT, and TSI
  • Students must be made aware of the individual graduation committee final project as a substitute for up to two of the end-of-course tests
  • Parents must be made aware of the lack of opt out policy for the such tests. 
  • Parents must be made aware of how student records when changing schools can possibly have an effect on their graduation, and should take steps to ensure current records are available.
  • Parents of students who are English Language Learners can receive an exception to the English 1 STAAR test as result of the language proficiency. 
    • ]]>     2019-10-06 16:16:20 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394130469     The TEst ewilliams215 https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394133427 "The Test" by Anya Kamenetz provides a helpful tool for parents to help them understand the current educational environment around standardized tests. 
    The book provides:

    • the history of testing in the United States

    • Strategies to help their students cope with the testing environment

    • Stories from other families navigating the educational system

    • Describes a future with better testing and hopefully healthier children
    Kamenetz, A. (2016). The test.Public Affairs: New York.

    ]]>     2019-10-06 16:31:50 UTC https://padlet.com/ewilliams215/jp8ost3wxe85/wish/394133427