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Research Presentation on Grades and Standardized Testing
- 1. CSTs and ClassroomGrades: Are grades a good measure of CST scores? by James Lake
- 2. The Study Usingeleventh graders’ CST scores in summative mathematics and English/language arts and final semester grades from spring of 2010, this study intended to discover whether there is a correlation between students’ grades as assigned by their teachers and their performance on the CSTs.
- 3. Methodology The studywas conducted by acquiring each student’s previous year CST scores and printing out a copy of their final transcripts and comparing their spring 2010 CST scores to their 2010 final grades using a 0 to 4 scale for both assessments as shown in Table 1.
- 4. Table 1 Grading Scale CSTRating Scale Numerical Equivalent Class Grading Scale Numerical Equivalent Advanced 4 A 4 Proficient 3 B 3 Basic 2 C 2 Below Basic 1 D 1 Far Below Basic 0 F 0
- 5. English/language arts Findings A Pearson R test was run and revealed that students’ English/language arts grades and CST scores had a moderate relationship (r = .402, p = .028). This means that those students’ English/language arts CST scores were somewhat related to their classroom English grades. The results of the correlational analysis are shown in Table 2.
- 6. Table 2 English Correlation NM SD r p* 11th CST English 30 2.53 1.042 .402 .028 11th English Grade 30 2.30 1.088 *p = <.05
- 7. Mathematics Findings Whencomparing mathematics grades and CST scores, the correlation test showed very low relationship (r = .196, p = .300). The analysis shown in Table 3 depicts that students’ summative mathematics CST scores do not coincide with their classroom grade.
- 8. Table 3 Math Correlation NM SD r p* 11th CST Math 30 1.97 .999 .196 .300 11th Math Grade 30 1.83 1.206 *p = <.05
- 9. Conclusions Consistency needsto improve between test results and classroom grades. Numerous factors influence this irregularity. Every thing from poor instruction, to student’s lack of effort shape student test scores and grades. (What happens when STAR scores and classroom grades don’t agree? 2010).
- 10. Conclusions continued…. AsEisner (2002), asserts “standardized test scores and grades have become the basis for judging educational quality” (p.188). When students do not measure up, or when a dichotomy exists between the two assessments, research needs to be done to figure out why.
- 11. Summary Itis important for educators to realize that the most important part of assessing students in class is to determine how to enhance or modify the lessons for them so that teachers are effectively engaging students in meaningful instruction.
- 12. As accountabilityin education becomes more and more politicized, so is the relationship between a student’s classroom achievement (grades) and standardized test scores.
- 13. This topiccertainly deserves further research to find out which teachers are successful and why, as well as which are failing to teach to the California Content Standards.
- 14. 3 Recommendations forFurther Study
- 15. 1. Conduct astudy going back 4 to 5 years into CST scores of students and grades enrolled in the same teachers’ classes in mathematics and English/language arts to see what, if any, correlation existed when the school was scoring better on its API. 2. Conduct a larger study using the CST scores and grades in mathematics and English/language arts from all 4 high schools in the district to determine if a stronger or weaker relationship exists in other teachers classes. 3. Utilizing strong correlative data among English and mathematics grades and scores on the CST, conduct observations of effective teachers to evaluate what instructional methods and strategies they implement that achieve correlational success in the classroom and on the CSTs for students.