Policy Blog
« Study Proposals | Main | Puzzles vs. mysteries »
January 16, 2007
Better testing for better academic results
In a counter-editorial published in the Star Tribune on January 15, Rep. Jeremy Kalin (DFL-Lindstrom) argued that Minnesota doesn't need a longer school year -- instead, it needs to use its school days more efficiently by switching to state assessments that provide useful information to teachers.
While the Citizens League is agnostic on the length of the school year -- it's not an issue we've taken up recently -- we absolutely agree that Minnesota should shift to computer-based assessments that give quick, useful results to teachers, parents and students. (Adopting such exams was a recommendation of our 2004 Trouble on the Horizon report on higher education.) It's not a pie-in-the-sky idea; as Representative Kalin wrote, many school districts are already using these "adaptive" exams.
For more information, check out the Northwest Evaluation Associations website. They are a leader in improving student assessment and have developed adaptive exams in partnership with school districts around the country.
Posted by Victoria Ford at January 16, 2007 1:29 PM
Comments
Thanks for linking to the counterpoint, Victoria. The NWEA's Measures of Academic Progress test is currently used by a substantial proportion of our school districts - at their own discretion, largely because the MCAs are not meeting their needs for individualized results and individual feedback.
I am pretty sure this won't be the last we'll hear about this issue this session. If any of your readers have a question, criticism, or other feedback, please do email me at the Capitol: Rep.Jeremy.Kalin@House.mn.
Posted by: Rep. Jeremy Kalin | January 16, 2007 7:20 PM
I was glad to see your counter point, too, Jeremy.
Have any of the education associations or the teachers' union taken a position on this? Are their lobbyists knocking down your door?
Posted by: Griff Wigley | January 19, 2007 1:29 PM
Griff-
Right now, I and others are at the early organizing stage. I don't know if any education associations have taken an official position yet, but I can tell you that the rank and file is strongly behind considering some needed reforms, at the very least.
I hope to have a bill together within the month, and I am happy to have the input of any all folks, from parents to students to teachers to policy wonks to... well, anyone.
Thanks for the interest in making our schools work better for our students.
My best,
Jeremy
Posted by: Rep. Jeremy Kalin | January 19, 2007 11:55 PM
Very glad to see recommendations re better use of assessments in Minnesota. Having said that, there are limitations of NWA for high school kids - a number of schools have discovered them.
Several of the schools with which we work are using the Accuplacer - a test that many of the state colleges and universities use to determine whether students are ready to go into college level reading, writing and math courses.
Would love to chat about that if folks are interested.
Joe Nathan, Director
Center for School Change
Humphrey Institute
University of Minnesota
Posted by: Joe Nathan | January 24, 2007 3:41 PM