From the Principal's Office: Testing Week … Why We Test

This week our students are taking the Stanford 10 tests. This is the recommended standardized testing company by ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International). Interestingly enough, ACSI is changing this recommendation to the TerraNova3 test for next year, which may lead some to question why we are still using these tests this year. I questioned it myself and after researching and comparing standardized tests this past year. I came to the conclusion that the Stanford 10 test is NOT a great measurement of what our students should know at their assigned grade level.

So why are we giving it?

Basically, for CCA the reasons are valid. One reason is that we already own it. Testing packages are very expensive and as we are rebuilding our school and operating on fewer students, it didn't make sense to purchase new tests until we sure which ones we wanted and would best measure our students' ability and our unique curriculum. In Virginia, our public school elementary students do not take any standardized test a part from the state required tests better known as the SOLs. The philosophy behind this decision is that our state standards exceed the national ones. Therefore, if students can score well on our state tests there is no need for them to take a national standardized test before high school and they take the ACT or the SAT. As an elementary administrator of a private school and a parent I personally find that to be a problem. I want to know that our public school students and our own CCA students are held to the same standards. Public schools have created a "teach to the test" curriculum model that I do not want used at CCA. However, I do want to know that our students could pass an SOL test as well as a national standardized test. In May, we will give our third-sixth grade students an SOL test to make sure. This week, however, they are taking the Stanford. I did make the decision to give it earlier and at a younger level than recommended by the testing company. (Our students are that advanced this year) The question still remains … Why? What do we gain from giving this test if it is not the best measurement? Well, here are a few reasons (beyond cost) why I believe it to be important.

We are able to see where our students compare on a national level of students in their grade. (In some cases the grade above them)
We gain a lexile score for each student that we use to know if they are reading above or below the literature required in our literature-based curriculum.
It gives us an indication of the knowledge a student gains from year to year.
We are given class scores from these tests that provide quantitative information on a teacher's ability from year to year.
We are and plan to remain an ACSI ceritified school and they require us to have a formal evaluation of testing to compare our students to other ACSI schools. They do not recognize the SOL tests or other state tests in their comparisons. 

Testing is an accepted pracitce in our schools today. One that is I believe necessary to maintain.  I have not decided yet if we will move to the TerraNova3 tests with ACSI next year or if we will choose another testing company. I will continue to require some form of standardized test so we can gain the information above. We will also continue to give the SOL tests on our own. These tests are not sent to the state or included in the state's comparisons. However, we want to know our students are being held to the same standards and are competitive  on every level and model of education available to them.

I am anxious to see how our students score compared to others in both public and private education. I expect it will be a great year of growth after being challenged with a new curriculum and the creative teaching staff they have been working under.