Thanks for joining today's education forum on standardized testing with Charles Pascal, the new chair of the EQAO and a former deputy minister of education.
Our next topic is preschool education. Does your preschooler need to go to preschool? Is Montessori the best way to go? What other options are out there? Questions about day care? Professor Theresa Steger of Ryerson University's Early Childhood Education program will answer your questions.
If you have any ideas for future forums or possible experts, please e-mail education editor Kristin Rushowy at krushowy@thestar.ca.
Standardized testing Q&A
Q: My son completed the EQAO test and I paid $50 for it, but unfortunately his school closed down, and I never got his exam results. Can you help me, in getting his test results? Please and thank you.
A: The mention of a fee suggests this is a private school situation. In a cases where a school is closed, and records are unavailable, the parent can contact EQAO at 416-314-0146 or 1-888-327-7377 for information about how assessment results can be accessed.
Q: Scores went up this year, but isn't that because the Liberals made the tests shorter and easier?
A: EQAO is an independent agency and is in no way influenced by the agenda of the government of the day. Recently, EQAO initiated a comprehensive review of its assessment programs to ensure that current international standards of large-scale assessment are being met. The review included input from stakeholders, a jurisdictional review of best practices in large-scale assessment and a major review of EQAO assessment practices by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto who worked with a team of internationally recognized large-scale assessment experts.
The review indicated that to report overall scores for reading, writing and mathematics, the test could be shorter and remain comparable to previous years. The assessments continue to measure the same knowledge and skills as they did previously.
Q: I have reviewed the recent results for my son's school. They appear to be better than previous years and better than the board and province. How can I tell if the results are due to the teachers teaching the test or if the teachers are using techniques that improve the students' critical thinking skills? Thank you.
A: It is difficult for teachers to teach to the test because the questions are developed to cover the full range of expectations from the Ontario curriculum, and the actual content changes from one year to the next. If teachers teach according to the curriculum expectations, this is a good thing.
Q: What measures are there to prevent school principals and teachers from tampering with the test results? How can some schools have almost everyone getting near perfect scores? If results can be raked easily, then the test is not a reliable measurement of performance of schools.
A: Several measures are in place to ensure that the assessments are administered in the same way across the province. For example, administration guides are provided that teachers are to follow, and quality control monitors visit a sample of schools to observe and report on administration procedures. Our monitors report to us that the assessments are administered in a consistent way across the province. Once scoring of student responses has been completed and the data analyzed, EQAO develops student, school, school board and provincial reports.
Q: Why do children only write the tests in Grade 3 and 6? Why those grades?
A: The assessments are positioned at the end of Grade 3 and Grade 6 because these are key stages in child’s journey through school and are significant developmental transitions points in elementary education. The completion of the primary grades (1, 2 and 3) and the completion of the junior grade division (4, 5 and 6).
Q: Should all children write the EQAO? My oldest son wrote the test two years ago. He was so nervous before it started, even though he does very well at school. My concern is for my younger son. I know how nervous his brother was. I am afraid that the test will be very hard, and discouraging for my son. He is doing very poorly in Grade 3, and is already getting discouraged at school. I am afraid the test will put too much pressure on a child that is already struggling.
A: It is very important for all children to participate in the provincial assessment as it is a very natural component of school and life. The assessment design is tailored to the developmental needs of children in Grades 3 and 6. In order to assist teachers and parents prepare children for the spring assessment, please refer to the EQAO website for resource materials. Most importantly, parents and school staff can prepare children by discussing the assessment as simply one more part of school life, just like the Friday afternoon spelling test.
Q: I don't get the levels. Why can't students be given normal marks, like a letter grade or percent?
A: Teachers across the province of Ontario use the achievement levels from the provincial curriculum in order to assess student work. The levels provide a description of achievement on a developmental continuum from 1 to 4. Level 3 describes the characteristics of student achievement that represent the expected level of achievement or the provincial standard.
The four levels of achievement are defined in the Ontario Curriculum as follows:
Level 4: The student has demonstrated the required knowledge and skills. Achievement surpasses the provincial standard.
Level 3: The student has demonstrated most of the required knowledge and skills. Achievement is at the provincial standard.
Level 2: The student has demonstrated some of the required knowledge and skills. Achievement approaches the provincial standard.
Level 1: The student has demonstrated some of the required knowledge and skills in limited ways. Achievement falls much below the provincial standard.
Q: I would like to know if there is a plan in place to expand the standardized tests to cover core subjects at the Grade 12 level, similiar to that of SAT I and SAT II in the USA? I always doubt that high schools in Ontario are able to give same marks to same academic performance of different students across Ontario. Tests conducted by your office confirmed that not all schools have students' performance at the same level academically.
I would suggest that the Grade 12 students marks provided by individual high school are, in cases, misleading on students' actual performance compared with other students in other schools. This situation poses an unfavourable impact on potential employers and post-secondary educational institutes as they try to find the person with the appropriate academic achievement.
A: Although you raise some interesting points, there is currently no plan to expand the provincial assessment program to include Grade 12 exit exams.
Q: I have three children in elementary school in the Niagara Region, the eldest was in Grade 3 last year. I can tell you from experience that the teaching requirements and the EQAO test, in my opinion, are far beyond what should be expected from 8- and 9-year-old children. In fact, I wasn't taught some of the math topics covered by those Grade 3 students until high school, and really didn't grasp the underlying concepts until second year of university! Not to mention that some of the topics were covered in a very, very short period of time.
A: It’s important to understand that EQAO’s role is to measure student achievement against the Ontario curriculum expectations. EQAO does not define the curriculum, nor set the provincial standard. EQAO tests are constructed with questions that relate directly to the expectations of the Ontario curriculum. T
The results released last week measured student achievement of the mathematics curriculum that was in place in 2004-2005. The curriculum has been revised for the 2005-2006 school year. EQAO will be developing this year’s assessment against this new curriculum.
Q: We are told not to compare our neighbourhood school's ranking to that of other schools but, I'm sorry, it's impossible not to. Both of my sons attended our neighbourhood school, Oakwood Collegiate, for all or part of their high school education. I was a teacher, and I paid attention to their education. I felt that both were held to high standards in most subjects and were well-prepared for post-secondary studies. (One successfully graduated from university; the other is in 2nd year.) I was therefore shocked when I saw that Oakwood's ranking in Grade 9 math was among the lowest in the city. So what is going on there? Is Oakwood changing? If so, why? Or has it always been a school with diverse abilities?
As one looks at other schools with low rankings, it does appear to me that socio-economic level and cultural diversity are factors. Oakwood is located in an area of diverse economic levels, and it is culturally diverse. Does this test have any meaning? If it does, it seems to me that the board should be directing more resources to schools where a significant number of students seem to be having more difficulty.
A: You’ve touched upon the very reasons it’s impossible to compare one school’s results against another’s. The factors you mention certainly influence a school’s overall results, at every level. Each school operates in its own context and has its own particular set of challenges. School comparisons are not what EQAO results are about, which is why we strongly discourage any kind of ranking based on EQAO results.
The purpose of EQAO results is to provide a snapshot of student learning against expectations in the Ontario Curriculum. Although EQAO results provide important and timely information on student learning, it should be remembered that they are only one piece of data within the entire portfolio of information a school and boards collect on their students. When used effectively, these data help educators target areas for improvement and help define teaching strategies and learning objectives to enhance student achievement. As you stated at the end of your comment, using all of these rich sources of data helps schools, boards and the province target initiatives in elementary and secondary schools.
Q: If a child receives a certain mark on the test, does that put them in a level or are the marks put on a bell curve, e.g. the bottom ?% have not met the standard?
A: There is no bell curve system used in EQAO provincial tests. The overall level earned by each child is based directly on his or her own achievement on the test. To be specific, each child receives an individual score on each question answered. These scores are then combined to produce a score in each of reading, writing and mathematics. These resulting scores are aligned to the four "levels of achievement" as outlined in the Ontario curriculum.
Q: I was wondering how these tests are marked?
A: Ontario teachers score the Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments over a two-week period in July. Teachers are trained using scoring guides and samples of students’ work for each question that they will be responsible to score. Following training, teachers must pass a qualifying test. Groups of teachers are then assigned a specific set of questions that they will score for every student. This ensures consistency in scoring and the reliability and validity of the results.
The EQAO responds ...
No, that’s incorrect. Teachers who mark the tests are drawn from every region of the province. For the very reasons you point out, EQAO is committed to ensuring that teachers from all across the province, with a range of teaching experiences, work with us at scoring and at every phase of the assessment development process.
Posted by: EQAO | October 28, 2005 at 02:02 PM
Is it true that the teachers who mark the test must come from within a 100 km radius of Toronto? Doesn't this then once again bring up the possiblity of bias with the markers? As much as EQAO stresses that the marking is done within a stringent list of criteria, it is possible that lack of exposure to situations outside our sunny south may hamper the markers understanding of what the testee is trying to convey. Once the objectivness of the markers comes into question so to does the validity of the results.
Posted by: Ruth | October 27, 2005 at 09:44 AM
EQAO office has done to math curriculum what WHOLE LANGUAGE did to phonics. Why do we continue to fund an office that finds its' justification through "subjective" assessment practices?
It is my understanding, changes to the math curriculum were due, in great part, to address technological advances. Interestingly, these advances are a "result of" those who were educated with the "old" math" curriculum.
When a need for tutoring has increased to the astronomical proportion that is evident with the "rise" of tutoring services, serious awareness of the shortfalls of curriculum must be considered.
Curriculum assessment is further skewed by this increased need for tutoring. How does one begin to assess "curriculum" strength and shortfalls when the "need for" curriculum supports expands beyond the classroom environment which requires support through the "business" of tutoring.
My observations suggest, the students are continuiously being compromised. The number of students not graduating further supports my observations of "curriculum" shortfalls. Consideration must also be given to the number of incidences of youth, under the age of 18, expressing frustration and violence in the general public. Continuously placing students in environments that compromise their abilities to achieve can only contribute to increased frustration and violence. Students do not have the foresight of adults to make such a connection that is only learned through experience and wisdom!
Education that allows the students an environment to pursue their strengths and interests can only promote a cohesive society.
Changing a math curriculum from a numbers and symbols language to a verbal language
adds to the challenges of addressing student needs rather than enhancing the environment. How does a change such as this address the students who are weak in the areas of written verbal language and ESL?
My confidence, as a parent, with the education system is consistently challenged by my observation of the lack of courage and foresight of those in positions to influence change and address concerns. Past attempts to having these concerns addressed at the Ministry level raises awareness of the many OBSTACLES to our education system.
It is with hopeful anticipation, that one day these concerns will not fall on deaf ears.
Posted by: Louise Domingues | October 25, 2005 at 05:21 PM
I think it is more important for the development of my child to have time for extra-curricular activites, hanging out with friends, reading a book of his choosing, or just doing nothing. Having time for sitting down and eating an unrushed dinner with his family. And getting a good night of 10-11 hours of sleep. For these reasons, I pulled my Grade 4 son out of public school and decided to homeschool. He is a happy, un-stressed, well adjusted 10 year old boy (now).
Posted by: Jane | October 25, 2005 at 05:13 PM
I think EQAO is a waste of time and I have made my opinions known to my 3 boys two of which wrote tests last year one in Grade 6 and one in Grade 9. My Grade 9 son had an average of 96 percent in Math last year and yet he scored a 3 in EQAO testing because he did not care and did not put in any effort. The kids know that it is a waste of time the testing lasts a week. That is a week out of their curriculum.
Posted by: Nancy Cole | October 25, 2005 at 05:12 PM
I am a retired learning centre teacher. Standardized tests really helped me and the parents. They allowed me to gear my expectations for the child. Parents also wanted to know what expectations they should have for their child. They did not want to frustrate or discourage their children.
For example, if there was a learning disability that was indicated: I would know that the child is capable of the work with program changes and special modifications, accomodations. The key is to be able to know what the test is telling you. That takes a trained professional. The trained professional also shares that
information with the parent.
In one case, a child came to school and was identified as Behaviour. When standardized tests and an IQ test were done
later, it was determined he was severely developmentally delayed. His behaviour was that of his mental age not chronological age. Treatment follows identification.
If a child is having long or short term memory problems, that can show up, or academic problems can be pinpointed.e.g
oral reading below grade level. Remediation follows identification.
Standardized tests (in particular IQ tests) tell you how the person would cognitively deal with the world without any help
in comparison to others of his age. An IQ test shocks parents and teachers, because of the initial statement. It is an accurate assessment of the help needed. Often, special needs children do very well on a day to day basis. Usually, they have support people helping them with their tasks. The comparison of what they can do on their own and what happens with help is necessary.
Posted by: Corinne Kowalchuk | October 25, 2005 at 05:10 PM
I agreed with one of the questions posted about how EQAO score is 100% for some of the school ranked #1 for 100. My daughter is currently on Grade 6 which she will be writing her EQAO for grade 6. However, when she was in Grade 3 and she has written the gr.3 EQAO. Her score was at level 2 for Math and English. I was quite upset because it gives me the impression that she is behind. However, her Gr. 3 school report card had indicated that she got 99% A for all of her subjects. I have reviewed the test with the principal and she has told me that the low score does not reflect on the child as their school does not prepare for EQAO, but the other schools which scored high with 100 may have done practice exams started at beginning of school year. I understand that this is true for some schools as I knew a few kids in these schools. I find the ranking of the school based on this EQAO test is quite unaccurate for most of the school. It has given a poor reference to the mid and low ranking as some parents are trying to enrol their kids to the top school based on this test result.
It is quite unfair.
Posted by: Aileen | October 25, 2005 at 03:45 PM