Recent criticisms of standardized tests and the collection of longitudinal data are creating confusion for parents and students. As a classroom teacher, I want to challenge some of the unsubstantiated claims and offer my perspective.
Soon, the Smarter Balanced assessment will be administered to all Maine public school students in third through eighth grade and to those in their third year of high school. Therefore, it is important that discussions are based on fact and not conjecture. It is equally important for parents to be fully informed before choosing to “opt out” of the assessment.
In a recent news broadcast, one person expressed concern about the Smarter Balanced assessment. Interestingly, the concern did not rest with the length or difficulty of the test, nor with its high-stakes nature. Rather, the concern was about the collection of longitudinal student data. It concerns me that individuals and leaders of groups against the Smarter Balanced assessment are using propaganda to instill fear in parents, claiming that the test will deceptively measure personality traits or belief systems through the disguise of reading comprehension questions. These claims are false.
The Smarter Balanced assessment is not the classic achievement test you may have taken in school in the past. It measures a student’s application of skills rather than general knowledge; it measures mastery of Maine’s learning standards. Students are required to analyze complex text, infer meaning and use multiple sources to support arguments. Students must develop claims from their own perspectives and support these claims with evidence and reasoning. Students’ opinions are not judged. Rather, responses are evaluated on how well students justify their arguments.
So, what is true? First, Maine will collect longitudinal data.
This data will include basic demographic information, including gender, ethnicity and date of birth. It is important to note that the only information students are required to enter to begin a test session are their first names, unique and secure nine-digit state identification numbers (not Social Security numbers) and the test session number provided to their class by their teacher.
Data from test results will be aggregated by subgroups as required by the federal government for purposes of reporting progress to the United States Department of Education. These subgroups include students receiving special education, English language learners, and students receiving free and reduced-price lunch. To further ensure the privacy of our students, the Maine Department of Education only makes education data publicly available if there are 10 or more students in the data set. Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, no confidential student data from the Smarter Balanced assessment can be shared with the Department of Education. Additionally, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act prohibits identifiable student information from being collected in a database.
Education is not only an art but a science. Research has taught educators that using assessment data to drive instruction yields greater achievement. When educators use assessment results to understand the skills of their students, teaching is targeted to the needs of the learner. Therefore, educators need assessments that are formative, rather than summative. Furthermore, longitudinal data helps our community schools make important decisions about appropriate programming and assists districts in determining the resources their students require in order to be successful.
Information from longitudinal data can support Maine’s efforts to improve educational policies that will result in improved student achievement for all learners. Clearly, our educational system needs reliable assessments that assess all populations in a fair manner.
If we are going to debate concerns about the Smarter Balanced assessment, let’s start with the truth. Ask a Maine Teacher of the Year or other educators in your community to share their thoughts and concerns about the Smarter Balanced assessment. You won’t get propaganda. You’ll get the facts!
Jennifer Dorman is the 2014 Somerset County Teacher of the Year and the 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year. She teaches at Skowhegan Area Middle School.